Bugna strikes anew, conquers PPS Aklan

Kathryn Bugna continued her impressive run, pulling off another three-title sweep in the Aklan National Junior Tennis Championships at the Kalibo courts last Wednesday, mirroring her dominant performance in Iloilo City recently.

Bugna, a 14-year-old standout from the Batang Onay Tennis Club in Barangay RSB, dropped just three games in four matches en route to the girls’ 14U crown, capping it with a 6-0, 6-1 rout of Theriz Zapatos in the finals.

She carried that momentum into the 16U division, where she overwhelmed top seed Shanel Malbas, 6-1, 6-1, in another lopsided finale in the five-day tournament, part of the nationwide PPS-PEPP talent-search program spearheaded by Palawan Pawnshop president Bobby Castro.

Unseeded in the 18U category, Bugna defied expectations again. She stunned No. 1 Alexandra Onte, 6-2, 6-2, in the opening round and crushed two more opponents, culminating in a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over second seed Laurine Tana.

The feat matched her triple-title romp in Iloilo and extended her amazing streak that began at the MACS’ Crankit tournament at Valle Verde, where she also ruled the 14U and 16U divisions to earn another Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy in the Group 2 event presented by Dunlop, sanctioned by Philta, and backed by Universal Tennis and ICON Golf & Sports.

On the boys’ side, Rizzjun Labindao of Buruanga, Aklan claimed MVP honors after a 6-2, 6-4 win over Andrian Rodriguez in the 16 U final. He came close to a double but fell short in the 18U title match, losing to Kalibo’s Andrei dela Cruz, 6-4, 6-4.

Other individual champions included Iloilo’s Donarose Olavides (girls’ 12U), Bjorn Castigador (boys’ 14U), Francisco De Juan III of Panay (boys’ 12U), and Joshua Ausan of Buruanga (10U unisex).