Jan Godfrey Seno’s rise to the top in the local tennis scene continues as he won two titles yesterday in the 2014 Palawan Pawnshop Regional Age Group tennis tournament at the Naga Country Club tennis courts.
The 15-year-old University of San Carlos-Basic Education Dep’t ace, who recently won two titles in the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group tournament, was once again crowned champion in the 16-Under and 18-Under divisions.
Playing in only his second local tournament since returning from a short stint in the U.S., the Bogo City, Cebu-native Seno, ranked sixth in the 16-U, took his game a level higher as he scored an upset victory by defeating fourth-seeded Earl Cagampang, 6-0, 6-3, in their championship game.
Later in the afternoon, Seno bagged his second straight title as he repeated over the Cagayan de Oro City-native Cagampang in the premier 18-U division, 6-0, 6-0.
In the distaff side, Bright Academy’s Zethley Mae Alferez continued her mastery over schoolmate and fellow Nagahanon, Shynne Villareal.
The second-seeded Alferez inked an upset win over the top-seeded Villareal twice to take home the championship titles in the girls’ 16-Under and 18-Under divisions at the APO Cement tennis courts.
Alferez, “Anday” to her close friends, inked a 6-3, 6-3, win over Villareal to take home the 16-U title then repeated over the latter, 7-5, 6-2, to take home the 18-U crown.
Alferez and Villareal also met twice during the 16 and 18 Under Finals of the Cebuana Lhuillier tournament with Alferez defeating Villareal in both championship games.
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Another upset victory unfolded in the 10-U Unisex Finals after the unseeded Eric Louise Longakit of the Naga Central Elementary School bounced back from an opening-set debacle in defeating second-seed Tiffany Claire Nocos, 1-4, 4-1, 4-2, to secure the crown.
In the 12-Under Girls, Lyrah Mae Repollo also of the City of Naga outplayed Pher Bles Coderos, 6-4, 6-1, to bag the title.
The Boys 14-U title was brought home by top seed Francis Lambayan, after winning his seventh title in the age group with a 6-3, 6-3 bashing of unseeded Francis Hidalgo.
Fourth seed Elsie Abarquez, for her part, scored her own upset win in the 14-U Girls category as she ousted topseed Kristin Renee Salimbangon, 6-3, 6-0, to be crowned champion. In the Boys’ 12-U, second-seed Venz Alforque scored another shocking win by booting out top seed Cesar Kristofer Salimbangon, 6-2, 6-1, in the finals.