YOUNG Marielle Jarata hacked out a tough 6-4, 7-5 decision over Gabrielle Abarquez and claimed the girls’ 14-and-under crown, completing another three-peat feat in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Urdaneta leg tennis tournament at the Urdaneta Tennis Club in Pangasinan last Monday.
Jarata, 10, leaned on her baseline game to stun the 14-year-old Abarquez in the opening frame then pulled through in a back-and-forth second set duel to nail another title as an unranked player in a heavier division of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
She earlier survived Prince Lim’s upset bid in the 10-unisex finals, 1-4, 4-1, 4-1, then dominated Anna Bajet, 6-1, 6-1, to clinch the 12-U diadem and match her three-title haul in last week’s tournament at home in Agoo, La Union.
“With proper training and motivation, Jarata could well become the country’s next star with the PPS-PEPP circuit serving as her training ground along with the other young aspirants,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Charles Torres from Urdaneta, on the other hand, annexed two titles in the boys’ side, foiling Andre Jarata, 6-1, 6-3, in the 16-U finals and thwarting James Mina, 6-4, 6-1, for the 18-U diadem to share the MVP honors with Mariella Jarata.
San Fabian, Pangasinan’s Anna Demyer likewise posted a two-title romp, beating Achaia Cabahug twice – 7-5, 6-0, in the 16-U finals and 6-4, 2-6, 10-8 in the 18-U championship of the event supported by the Unified Tennis Philippines, including PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
Other singles winners were Joewyn Pascua from Mapandan, Pangasinan (boys’ 12-U), Andre Jarata (boys’ 14-U), while Marielle Jarata, teaming up with Jumia Egipto, led the doubles winners (14-U), who included Johnjay Jimenez-James Mina (boys’ 18-U), Demyer-Abarquez (girls’ 18-U), Kurt Agustin-Pascua (boys’ 14-U) and Prince Lim-Kris Lim (10-unisex).
Meanwhile, the four-leg Northern swing of the circuit winds up in Valenzuela, Bulacan beginning tomorrow (Thursday) at the Valenzuela Sports Complex, according to PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director and organizer Bobby Mangunay. For details, call 0915-4046464.
