LILITH Rufino (right) holds her trophy as she poses with co-MVP Yuan Torrente (left) and Olivarez College assistant vice president for Finance and Administration and former top golfer Bernice Olivarez-Ilas.
Photograph courtesy of OLIVAREZ CUP
Unranked Lilith Rufino delivered a breakthrough performance, toppling a string of seeded opponents to capture the girls’ 16U crown in the Rep. Eric Olivarez Cup Juniors Age-Group Championships at the Olivarez Sports Center and Parañaque tennis courts last weekend.
Rufino set the tone early, dismantling No. 6 Talitha Lopez, 6-0, 6-3, after advancing via a 1-0 (ret.) result over Michaela Nantes. She sustained her momentum with a gritty 5-7, 6-2, 10-8 upset of third seed Chiara Bate, then dominated No. 2 Izabelle Camcam, 6-1, 6-1, in the semifinals.
Facing top seed Astrid Cablitas for the championship, Rufino showcased poise and control from the outset, cruising to a commanding 6-2, 6-0 victory to secure her first major title in the Group 2 tournament sanctioned by Philta and Universal Tennis Ranking.
The triumph served as redemption for the Makati City standout, who earlier fell short in the 14U finals, losing a pair of tight tiebreak sets to unseeded Michaela Suarez, 7-6(3), 7-6(3).
Despite that setback, Rufino’s title and runner-up finish earned her a share of the Most Valuable Player honors alongside Yuan Torrente, who mirrored her feat in the boys’ side.
Torrente captured the boys’ 12U title with a 6-3, 6-1 rout of Raven Licayan, bouncing back from a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Jan Caleb Villeno in the 14U finals.
The five-day tournament, held in honor of Rep. Eric Olivarez and backed by the Palawan Group of Companies, Dunlop and ICON Golf & Sports, drew record 230 participants and produced a remarkable outcome — no player managed to win two titles, underscoring the depth and parity of the field.
Among the other standout champions, several players also celebrated breakthrough victories. Bataan’s Cristiano Calingasan crushed top seed Antonio Bengzon, 6-1, 6-1, to rule the boys’ 16U division, while Cavite’s Marwin Plata stunned No. 1 Antonio Ng Jr., 6-1, 6-3, to claim the boys’ 18U crown.
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Pasig’s Gabrielle Co secured the girls’ 12U title with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Ellythia Comia, and Yuki Mae Madrio of Glenview, Illinois, made a strong impression in her rare local appearance, dominating Cielo Gonzales, 6-0, 6-1.
In doubles play, Raven Licayan and Augustine Delmo topped the boys’ 14U event, while Terensiha Calingasan and Isabella Carlos ruled the girls’ side. Santino Danganon and James Madalo captured the boys’ 18U title, and Dania Bulanadi teamed up with Gonzales to win the girls’ division.
