Eala wins three crowns in Palawan Pawnshop net

PROMISING netter Michael Francis Eala took home three titles while Andrew Joshua Cano and Alexie Santos annexed two apiece in dominating performances in the Philta Palawan Pawnshop National Championship at the Gov. Socrates Tennis Club in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Eala, playing out of Xavier School, took the boys’ 12-and-under and 10-unisex crowns with a 6-3, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-1 victories over Manuel Balce III and Jan Harold Trillanes, respectively. He then teamed up with Alexandra Eala to pocket the 10-unisex doubles crown.

Cano lorded it over the field in the boys’ 16- and 18-and-under categories, posting a 1-0 ret. win over top seed Marcen Gonzales and thwarting Francisco Santos III, 7-5, 6-2, respectively, in the event which gathered the top finishers in the nation-wide age group circuit.

Santos, on the other hand, stamped her class in the girls’ 14- and 16-and-under classes, scoring a 1-0 ret. victory over Cebuana Jana Pages and a 6-3, 6-3 romp over Khrizelle Sampaton, respectively.

Sharing the spotlight in the six-day event are Maia Balce, who scored a walkover win over another Cebuana Sally Mae Siso in the girls’ 18-and-under; Alexandra Eala, who stopped Katrina Bien, 6-3, 6-1, for the girls’ 12-and-under title; and Cebu’s Jan Godfrey Seno, who stunned No. 2 Jose Fernando Arguelles, 6-0, 6-3, for the boys’ 14-and-under title.

Julian Dayrit and Mavrick Victoria beat Jerome Romualdez and Francisco Santos, 4-2, 4-2, to claim the 18-and-under boys’ doubles crown while Alexis Bangayan and Kristin Salimbangon took the girls’ 14-and-under doubles title with a 4-1, 1-4, 11-9 win over Camile So and Mariel So. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio