Matthew Morris and Alexa Cruspero lead a deep and determined cast of young tennis hopefuls as the Governor’s Cup Juniors Tennis Championships get underway on Thursday at the Capitol Tennis Courts here.

Morris headlines the boys’ premier 18U division, which also features Andrian Rodriguez, Hazer Malicay and Rafa Callao, while Cruspero braces for a spirited challenge from Mercy Pinili, Georgina Emperado, Zarephath Gabrielle, Princess Pampula and Winchell Ann Druey in the girls’ 18U class.

The Group 2 tournament, presented by Dunlop and staged under the Palawan Pawnshop nationwide talent-search, brings together one of the province’s strongest assemblies of junior players, with ranking points and age-group honors at stake.

Cruspero is also entered in the girls’ 16U division, where she will face Etha Seno, Jhaira Lanterna and Marypauren Balolong. Morris, meanwhile, is chasing a possible two-title haul in the boys’ 16U category against Rodriguez, Xian Calagos and Prince Cantino.

With entries swelling across the various age divisions, organizers are tapping additional playing venues in Larena and Ibabaw to accommodate the competition.

The strong turnout reflects the growing interest in tennis among Siquijor’s young athletes, with the sport’s local following getting an added boost from the international breakthrough of Filipino tennis star Alex Eala.

The juniors championships form part of a busy week for tennis in Siquijor, which is hosting the Governor’s Cup for the first time. The province is also staging the inaugural Governor’s Cup Open, which got underway Tuesday and has drawn a strong field of its own.

Top seed John Benedict Aguilar barged into the Open quarterfinals after James Binoya retired with Aguilar ahead, 1-0. He will meet Kurt Kilat Jr., who dispatched Jan Sepe, 6-1, 6-1, next.