DUNLOP-ZESTO JUNIOR TENNIS – Amazona bags 2 titles

By Neil Bravo
Victory came in pairs for second seed Jeleardo “Jelic” Amazona on a day a pair of unlikely finalists contested a pair of two major boys titles.
The 15-year old Amazona, son of former pro standout Ricardo Amazona, twice frustrated the giant run of Angelo Factora to bag the 18 and 16 under titles in the upset-riddled Dunlop-Zesto Junior Tennis Championship at the GSIS Tennis Center.
Amazona, the pride of Davao Oriental, stopped the upset-conscious Factora, seeded fourth in the 16-under, taking only 15 games to eke out a 6-0 6-3 win. Both players came back later to contest the 18-under title and a rested Factora, unseeded in the boys 18-under, gave the steady Amazona some fitting moments before bowing out 6-4 6-4.
Factora was almost spent after two gruelling semifinals encounter where he twice showed the exit to hard-luck top-seeded Mikko Ringia of Koronadal City. Factora first dropped the upset axe on Ringia with a 7-5 7-5 win in the 16-under then came back later to prove his win was no fluke with a 7-5 6-2 repeat.
In the girls 18-under finals, Lenelyn Milo buckes a first set loss then endured a tough sudden death tiebreak in the third set to beat Jenni Celine Dizon 5-7, 6-2, 10-8. Dizon earlier took the girls 16-under plum with a convincing 6-4 6-4 triumph.
In other fronts, boys 14-under third seed Jeric Delos Santos completed his giant-killing run by taking the title with a 6-1 7-5 straight sets win over no. 2 AJ Alejandre. Delos Santos advanced to the finals by booting out top seed and heavy favourite Janus Ringia 6-0 6-3 in the semis.
The spate of reversals rubbed in on the girls 14-under as fourth seed Trina Factora shook off top seed Sharyl delos Santos 7-5 6-1 for the crown. Carlyn Bless Guarde made the girls 12-under true to form though as she won the title with a hard-earned 6-4 7-5 over no. 2 Patricia Velez.
In the 12-under class, top seed Janus Ringia won the title over no. 4 Stephen Tubbs, 6-4 6-0 while top seed Mark Directo defeated second seed Eric Comendador 6-0 6-2 to take home the 10-under unisex title.
The Group 3 event, sponsored by Dunlop Fort balls and Zesto Juice Drinks, is sanctioned by Philta and organized by Philta Region XI-B director Titong Cansino.