Rivera, Otico rule premier Philta class

Sixteen-year-olds Shaira Hope Rivera and Bryan Otico dominated the season-ending PSC-Philta national age-group tennis championship held recently at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Rivera, who hails from Ozamiz City, downed Monico Therese Cruz, 6-0, 1-6, 6-4, in the girls’ 18-under final to underscore her successful 2015 campaign.

Last October, Rivera represented country in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Future Stars in Singapore.

Otico reigned in the boys’ side, bagging the 18-U crown with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Cenon Gonzales in the meet organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Tennis Association.

Rivera and Otico’s Philippine Tennis Academy stablemate, Arthur Craig Pantino, also shone after ruling the boys’ 16-U category, beating Jake Martin, 6-1, 6-3.

Cruz made up for her 18-U loss with a triumph in the 16-U class, besting Alexandra Eala, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

But Eala won a title of her own when she defeated Miles Vitaliano, 6-2, 6-2, for the girls’ 14-U plum.

OTHER WINNERS: Macie Carlos, girls’ 12-U; Nio Tria, boys’ 14-U; Miguel Luis Vicencio, boys’ 12-U; Samuel Nuguit, 10-U unisex