IZABELLE Camcam showcased her resilience and versatility as she emerged the lone two-division champion while Tyronne Caro posted a win and a runner-up finish in the PPS-PEPP Governor’s Cup National Tennis Championships at the DAO Sports Complex in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur over the weekend.
The top-seeded 14-year-old Camcam survived a gritty challenge from No. 2 Zaia Gumbao to top her age group with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6(5) victory. She then raised her game even further, outlasting Gumbao again in a gripping 16-and-U singles final, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(4), to complete a “double” in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
The Muntinlupa City native, who had struggled in recent campaigns on the PPS-PEPP circuit, finally broke through in style and stood out as the tournament’s only multiple singles champion – a feat underscoring the deep competition and balanced field in the Mindanao leg of the nationwide tennis series initiated by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Caro, meanwhile, lived up to his billing in the boys’ 12-and-U class, dispatching Dioford Cabatingan, 6-3, 6-2, in the title match. However, he fell short of a second crown, yielding to top seed Prince Centino, 6-4, 3-6, 1-6, in the 14-and-U finals.
His combined efforts, however, were enough to earn him co-MVP honors alongside Camcam, who impressively secured four titles, including two in the doubles events.
The tournament, held in honor of Gov. Victor Yu and Vice Gov. Roy Lariosa and supported by Philta, Universal Tennis and ICON Golf & Sports, also produced a host of other standout performers.
Juliana Tenepre of Mandaue stunned top seed Sanschena Francisco, 6-2, 6-4, to snare the girls’ 18-and-U title; Frances Rigodon of Ozamiz City outlasted Bless Labadisos, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the 12-and-U final; and Al Rashid Arasad of Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur, claimed the boys’ 18-and-U crown via walkover against Paul Albano.
Lanao del Norte’s Kennedy Gumera ruled the boys’ 16-and-U division with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win over Lemmar Sugue, while Dipolog City’s Francis Dadan captured the 10-and-U unisex title after surviving Shaun Navidad, 5-3, 2-4, 10-7.
Camcam also dominated the doubles events, teaming up with Keuzaifah Ordiz to crush Micah Abanto and Germaine Rizon, 8-0, for the 14-and-U crown, and later partnering with Tenepre to topple Francisco and Gumbao, 8-3, for the 18-and-U trophy.
Vanizer Acabo and Centino secured the boys’ 14-and-U doubles title with an 8-2 romp over Andrei Buhat and Cabatingan, while Jiden Donaire and Lance Fuentes breezed past Adrian Abanto and Jayson Pañares, 8-0, to rule the 18-and-U doubles event.
