Jan Cadee Dagoon and Jonathan Higa head the field in the premier 18-and-under division of the Philippine Tennis Association-sanctioned Mayor Edwin Olivarez National Open Juniors Tennis Championships firing off on Thursday in Parañaque City.
The event features 270 young tennis players from across the country and will be staged at the Olivarez Sports Center and nearby Parañaque courts to accommodate the huge turnout.
The tournament will run for two weeks and culminate in the Open Championship.
Dagoon faces stiff opposition in the girls’ singles with Joy Ansay, Mikaela Ngu, Izabelle Camcam, Sabine See and Dania Bulanadi all aiming for the top prize.
On the boys’ side, Antonio Ng Jr., Gavin Kraut, Troan Vytiaco, Felizardo Lota III and Karl Almiron are among the key challengers looking to dethrone Higa.
Dagoon is also bidding for a double title as she joins the fray in the 16-and-under category, where Ayl Gonzaga is the top seed, with Maria Ataiza, Astrid Cablitas, Camcam and Bulanadi also seeking the title.
Ella Paglaluan braces for a duel with Gonzaga in the 14-and-under class, which also features Shaner Gabaldon, Francine Wong, Cablitas and Ataiza. Kyla Caguioa, Amanda Barrido, Tesinha Calingasan and Abby Castigador are among the favorites in the 12-and-under girls’ division.
In the boys’ 16-and-under, Krelz Gecosala carries the momentum of recent triumphs, while also seeking the title are Anthony Cosca, Antonio Bengzon, Vytiaco and Almiron.
Gecosala also holds the top seed in the 14-and-under class, where Cosca, Cristiano Calingasan, Jairo Flores and Tyronne Caro are expected to challenge his dominance.
Leading the 12-and-under boys’ field are Jan Villeno, Yuan Torrente, Gabriel Vitaliano, Liam Harrow, Raven Licayan and Caro, while Harrow headlines the 10-and-under unisex division, joined by Raven de Guzman, Terrence Battalones, Maximus Calingasan and Matias Aguilera in the tournament held under the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) program, held in honor of Mayor Edwin Olivarez and backed by Universal Tennis, Dunlop, and Icon Golf and Sports.