Lagac seeks to sustain run

Fresh from a two-title romp in last week’s Bagong Pilipinas Juniors tennis tournament, Miguel Lagac III hopes to sustain his winning momentum as he headlines a stacked field in the San Pablo Juniors Age Group Championships at the 7 Lakes courts in San Pablo City, Laguna.

The Group 2 tournament, sanctioned by Philta and Universal Tennis Ranking, got under way Thursday, featuring competitions in four boys’ age-group categories. The girls’ singles events in the 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U divisions beginning Friday.

Lagac dominated the two higher divisions at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center last week and enters the tournament brimming with confidence. The Quezon City standout is expected to face stiff competition in the boys’ 16U class from Antonio Bengzon, Nicholas Andal, Kenjie Kue, Fisher Tiango, Don Bermejo, Elijah Okano and Casimir Briggs.

He also heads the cast in the premier boys’ 18U division, where he will battle Andal, Kue, Bengzon, Karl Almiron, Aeyshaun Gomez, Bryan Malbog and Prince Cuenza. Several unranked players are likewise eager to shake up the rankings and make their presence felt across all eight divisions in both the boys’ and girls’ categories in the week-long tournament held in honor of Mayor Najie Gapangada.

With Kathlyn Bugna opting to rest following a series of dominant performances in the country’s premier talent-search program organized by the Palawan Pawnshop junior circuit headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro, the spotlight in the girls’ centerpiece 18U category shifts to Astrid Cablitas, Cielo Gonzales, Ava Banson and Frances Ilagan.