CEBU’S JANA PAGES and National Capital Region’s Stefan Suarez were named Most Valuable Players (MVP) after becoming double champions in yesterday’s conclusion of the 9th leg of the Philta Palawan Pawnshop Regional Age Group presented by Babolat and held at the Cebu International Tennis Center in Consolacion.
Pages, fresh from a successful campaign in the Malaysian legs of Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) U-14 series, defeated Claire Lazaga (Cebu), 4-0, 4-2, to clinch the 18 girls title and dismissed Shyne Villareal (Cebu), 5-3, 4-1, for the 16 girls title.
Tournament in-charge Bobby Mangunay said Pages had a chance to make history by making it three titles if she had not suffered stomach cramps while facing Zethley Alferez in the semifinals of the 14 girls. The stomach cramps forced the 13-year-old Pages to retire early in the first set.
Suarez, on the other hand, went past Jessie Daniel Villarin, 4-2, 5-4 (1), for the 18 boys title and Jan Godfrey Seno, 4-1, 4-1, for the 16 boys title.
The rest of the titles were pocketed by Cebuano netters with Villareal notching the 14 girls title; Gener Francis Lambayan and Alferez for the 12 boys and girls titles; and Cesar Kristofer Salimbangon capturing the 10 Unisex./CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON