JRG Gullas Cup
The children of former Cebu tennis standouts are following in the footsteps of their parents as they outsmarted their respective opponents in yesterday’s start of the 23rd JRG Gullas Tennis Cup held in separate venues.
Gio John Manito upset third seed Harland Hogan in the 14-Under Boys after prevailing via a super tie, 10-9, to advance to the third round of the competition.
Manito is the son of former national team member Fitz Gerald Tabura.
Manito’s cousins, Clarence Andrei and Kevin Aaron Tabura, also showed that tennis prowess runs in their blood as they routed their respective foes.
Clarence Andrei, seeded fifth in the 12-Under Boys, blanked Janscinth Paragoso, 10-0, to enter the third round, while Kevin Aaron, seeded seventh in the category, advanced to the second round with a 10-4 clobbering of Renzo Carl Cosep. Kevin Aaron Tabura is also the no. 1 seed in the 10 Under Unisex.
Vinz Lominoque, the son of another local great in Adonis Lominoque, entered the second round in the 16-Under Boys with a 10-1 lambasting of John Cris Langga.
Meanwhile, three seeded players in the Boys’ division defaulted their matches yesterday.
Lex Estillore, the top seed in the 16-Under Boys was not able to show up as he had a medical condition, giving Rene Bacon a third round entry on a silver platter.
Hogan, seeded sixth in the 16U, opted to no longer play after losing earlier to Manito, allowing EJ Pasaol to also advance in the third round without breaking a sweat.
Jacob Diago also did not show up in his matches in the 14 and 16 Under Boys. He is supposedly seeded fifth in the 14-Under Boys.
While some top seeds bowed out early, some also lived up to their lofty billing. Heinz Aslan Carbonilla showed why he is the top seed in the 12-Under Boys with a 10-0 devastation of Cyrus Jay Cosep.
In the 14-Under Boys, top seed Nash Agustines dismissed Rafael Gonzales, 10-1.
In the distaff side, Ormoc’s Corazon Lambonao upset third seed Phel Hazel Coderos of Cebu, 10-0, in the 16-Under Girls.
Except for the Coderos upset, the rest of the top seeds in the Girls division remain in contention with 14-Under Girls top seed Lambonao and 16-
Under Girls top seed Ellaine Rose Bahonsua still to see action after earning byes in the first round.