Cruz pulls off Olivarez tennis victory double

Monica Therese Cruz mastered Rafaella Villanueva twice to capture the 14- and 16-and-under crowns yesterday in the fifth Olivarez Cup Age Group Tennis Championship at Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat yesterday.

The duo’s performance nailed them berths in the WTA Future Stars tournament set in Singapore in October.

The top-seeded Cruz dominated Villanueva, 6-1, 6-2, to complete her romp in the 14-U section where she dropped just five games en route to the championship. As No. 4 seed in the 16-U play, Cruz stunned top seed Khim Iglupas, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals, trounced Chloe Saraza in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-0, before reasserting her might over Villanueva, 6-1, 6-1, to complete a double.

Cruz and Villanueva, of De La Salle-Zobel, also gained the right to represent the Philippines in the WTA Future Stars meet which will feature the region’s top age-groupers on Oct. 17 to 20.

“With their form and determination, we’re confident Cruz and Villanueva will do good in Singapore,” said Philta president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

Top seed Nio Tria took the boys’ 12-U title with a walkover win over No. 2 Aljon Talatayod while finishing second in the 14-U class to No. 1 Marcus del Rosario, who beat him, 6-4. 6-2.

Bryan Decasa bagged the 16-U diadem over Justin Suarez, 6-1, 6-3.

Top seed Marcen Gonzales, meanwhile, foiled Decasa’s bid for a double as he hacked out a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory to pocket the 18-and-U crown.

Coleen Sioson upended No. 1 Ma. Dominique Ong, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, to rule the girls’ 18-U while No. 2 Alexandra Eala stunned top seed Miles Vitaliano, 6-4, 6-1, for the 12-U crown in the tournament held in honor of Dr. Pablo Olivarez, one of the founding fathers of Philippines tennis, on his 80th birthday.