Shaner Gabaldon and Jairus Peralta dished out stellar performances, securing double victories and sharing Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors at the Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. National Junior Tennis Championships at the Olongapo Tennis Club last Sunday.
Gabaldon displayed dominance as she overpowered top seed Athena Liwag of the host province twice, with identical scores of 6-3, 6-1, to claim both the girls’ 12U and 14U titles in the Group 2 tournament, underscoring her readiness for future top junior competitions.
Peralta, meanwhile, showed resilience under pressure. He edged past Yuan Torrente, 7-6(4), 6-4, in the boys’ 12U final and later staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Jairo Flores, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, for the 14U crown, matching Gabaldon’s feat.
The weeklong tournament, part of a nationwide talent search spearheaded by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro, saw intense action across multiple divisions.
In other results, Nueva Ecija’s Jayden Ballado staged a thrilling comeback to beat Olongapo’s top junior player Jan Cadee Dagoon, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(2) in the 16U finals. However, Dagoon struck back in the premier 18U division, defeating Ballado, 6-3, 6-3, in a commanding victory.
Local talents also made waves, with Troan Vytiaco outlasting Anthony Cosca, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, in the boys’ 16U finals. Meanwhile, Bais City’s Ariel Cabral dominated Frank Dilao, 6-3, 6-3, to secure the 18U title.