PCA Open joins Palawan tennis big-league; Barrido, Tonacao rule 14-U
MANILA, Philippines — The PCA Open-Palawan Pawnshop Juniors Tennis Championships has joined the growing roster of major junior and Open tennis tournaments under the Palawan Pawnshop umbrella, with Leanna Barrido and Claudwin Tonacao leading the list of champions after contrasting victories in the 14-and-under division at the PCA outdoor courts in Paco, Manila.
Barrido leaned on her fighting spirit and composure to overcome Francine Wong, 7-6(6), 6-4, in a tense girls' finals showdown, while Tonacao capped a remarkable run with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory over eighth seed Francisco De Juan III in the boys' championship.
The tournament's inclusion in Palawan Pawnshop's expanding tennis program further strengthens its presence in the local tennis scene, joining established fixtures such as the Gentry, Olivarez and Palawan Open tournaments.
The second-seeded Barrido, a rising talent from Antipolo, Rizal, had earlier cruised past Clare Henson, 6-1, 6-1, and Riomy Ambrad, 6-0, 6-4, in the first two rounds before surviving No. 8 Anica Palacio, 7-5, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.
She advanced to the finals via a walkover after Joella Sanchez withdrew to rush home to Cagayan de Oro. Sanchez had earlier escaped with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Kyla Caguiao, leaving Barrido with valuable time to rest and prepare for the title clash.
But against the third-ranked Wong, Barrido had to dig deep, surviving a grueling opening-set battle that could have gone either way before clinching the tiebreak, 8-6. She carried that momentum into the second set, breaking Wong once and holding serve to seal the straight-set triumph and pocket precious ranking points.
Tonacao, meanwhile, sustained his remarkable charge in the lower half of the boys' 14-and-U draw of the country's longest-running talent-search program organized by Palawan Pawnshop under president and CEO Bobby Castro, highlighted by a stunning 6-3, 7-5 quarterfinal upset of second seed Jan Villeno.
The Bogo, Cebu standout then recovered from a first-set setback to topple No. 4 Kresthan Belacas, 2-6, 6-0, 10-6, in the semifinals before overwhelming De Juan in the title match.
Also sharing top honors in the Philta- and UTR-sanctioned tournament presented by Dunlop and supported ICON Golf & Sports and Palawan Group of Companies were Jana Diaz and Miguel Lagac III in the 18-and-U division, Shaner Gabaldon and Nicholas Andal in the 16-and-U class, and Zhynaiah Gargaceran and Raven Licayan in the 12-and-U category.
Diaz routed Izabelle Camcam, 6-2, 6-0, while Lagac overpowered Josuie Pante, 6-2, 6-2. Gabaldon subdued Ava Banson, 6-2, 6-2, and Andal stunned Julius Otoc, 6-2, 6-0. Gargaceran swept past Abby Castigador, 6-1, 6-1, while Licayan outlasted Dale Diamante, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.
Gabaldon emerged as the lone double champion, teaming up with Sabine See to capture the girls' 18-and-U doubles crown over Dania Bulanadi and Avegail Ansay. Rafa Monte de Ramos and Ace Bandalla claimed the boys' doubles title at the expense of Andal and Marwin Plata.
Athena Liwag and Michaela Suarez bagged the girls' 14-and-U doubles crown over Barrido and Angelica dela Cerna, while Rafaello Munozco and Tristan Coros secured the boys' diadem against Jairus Peralta and Thirdy de Juan. TMT
