Twin titles for Otico, Madis in Mindanao net regionals

JOHN Bryan Otico and Jazelle Madis stole the limelight by nailing two titles each in the North Cotabato leg of the Philta-Palawan Pawnshop regional age-group championships presented by Babolat at Kabacan Tennis Federation courts.

Otico, 14, seized the premier boys’ 18-under title with a 4-0, 4-2 win over top-ranked Carlo Nono after earlier clinching the 14-under crown at the expense of another No. 1 seed, Abson Alejandre, 4-0, 4-2, in the fifth and last leg of the circuit’s Mindanao phase.

Madis shared the spotlight by winning the girls’ 14-under title over Mae Nadua, 4-2, 4-2, and taking the 12-under plum from Shane Barrios, 5-3, 4-0, in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and Technosports.

Nono got back at Otico in the 16-under finals with a 4-1, 4-1 romp even as Lara Nadela turned back Pearl Luis, 3-5, 5-4 (9-7), 10-4, to capture the girls’ 18-under championship. Therese Quiros ruled the girls’ 16-under class with a 4-1, 4-1 win over Vianney Reyes.

The other winners were second seed John Merwin Estrellado, who outlasted No. 1 Nicole Gorospe, 4-2, 2-4, 10-6, to cop the boys’ 12-under title, and No. 1 Eric Comendador, who downed Brent Magno for the 10-under crown.

Dr. Dionisio Nadela, president of Kabacan Tennis Federation of Cotabato thanked Palawan Pawnshop, Babolat and Philta “for bringing the circuit here and providing a top-level tournament for our young players.”

Meanwhile, Bobby Castro, COO of Palawan Pawnshop, and Guillermo Nocom, president of Technosports, in cooperation with Philta, announced that they will stage a 40-leg nationwide circuit starting January next year. It will kick off in Dumalag, Capiz with Iloilo and Kalibo, Aklan hosting the next two legs. Marc Anthony Reyes