Patrombon, Alcantara seek individual glory in Cebu

Southeast Asian Games men’s doubles gold medal winners Jeson Patrombon and Casey Alcantara bring their act to Cebu as they headline the elite cast clashing for top honors in the PPS-PEPP Dagitab Festival Open firing off on Tuesday at Naga City tennis courts.

Mark Alcoseba, a member of the winning soft tennis team in the recent biennial Games, is also in the fold, firming up the 64-player cast, which also features top seed and multititled Johnny Arcilla and regular Open campaigners and third seed Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad, Leander Lazaro, Rodolfo Barquin Jr., Roel Capampangan and Arthur Pantino.

The second-ranked Patrombon and No. 4 Alcantara held off Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales Jr. in an all-Filipino finale in the men’s doubles of the SEA Games at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, and both are raring to go for individual honors this time along with the rest of the crack field ready to vie for the top P40,000 purse in the event hosted by the City of Naga.

Alcoseba, on the other hand, teamed up with the likes of Mikoff Manduriao, Joseph Arcilla, Dheo Talatayod, Kevin Mamawal and Noel Damian Jr. to beat the Thailand side and deliver the third gold in soft tennis for the hosts.

Meanwhile, the Group I juniors division kicked off the annual event presented by Dunlop and put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala as part of its long-running talent-search. It kicked off during the weekend as part of the province’s Dagitab Festival.