Leyte’s Sal Andrei Lago hacked out a pair of semifinal reversals before capping his giant-killing ways with victories in the boys’ 14- and 16-and-under title matches in the PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez national age-group 2019 at the Brent Tennis Center in Biñan, Laguna, over the weekend.
The fourth-ranked Lago, a MAC’s Crankit Foundation protégé, stunned top seed Thomas Bernardo, 7-6(5), 6-4, in the semis then held off unranked Marcus Guinoo, 6-2, 7-6(3), in the 14-U finals. The De La Salle U-Lipa mainstay also ripped Bernardo, 6-1, 6-1, in the 16-U Final Four then foiled Lance Fernandez, 6-4, 6-4, to complete his romp in the Group I tournament.
Top-seeded Mica Emana, meanwhile, dominated girls’ 14-under by dropping just seven games in four matches. She capped her stint with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over No. 2 Ma. Sophia Moreno in the finals. As No. 2 in the 16-under division, the rising star from Sta. Mesa upended top seed Gaby Zoleta, 6-3, 6-4, in the finals of the event held in honor of healing priest Fr. Suarez for the second straight year.