Top seed Jayden Reece Ballado makes it to the semifinal round of the Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. National Junior Tennis Championships in Olongapo City on Saturday (Feb. 15, 2025). She won over Alecks Marguereth Quillope, 6-0, 6-0, in the quarterfinal round. (Contributed photo)
Top seed Jayden Reece Ballado delivered a dominant performance in the Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. National Junior Tennis Championships, overpowering Alecks Marguereth Quillope, 6-0, 6-0, to advance to the girls’ 18-under semifinals on Saturday.
Ballado, who previously secured the 16-under singles and 18-under doubles titles at the PSC-PHILTA tournament in December, will now face Lheira Gem Bugarin in the semifinals. Bugarin moved forward after a walkover victory against Gwyneth Dasha Go.
Second-seeded Shiloh Cruz also advanced without breaking a sweat as Zekiah Torrente withdrew. This set up a semifinal showdown against Cadee Jan Dagoon, who defeated Ameera Mangoba, 6-2, 6-1.
Girls’ 14-under bracket heats up
In the 14-under division, No. 1 seed Shaner Gabaldon showcased her strength with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over Ella Dela Cruz, while No. 2 Maria Isabel Ataiza cruised past Jaynelle Castro, 6-1, 6-0.
No. 3 Athena Zhia Liwag had to dig deep to overcome Cassie Briel Aquino, 6-2, 7-5, completing the semifinal lineup.
Higa stuns third seed in boys’ 18-under
The boys’ 18-under category saw an upset as unseeded Jonathan Higa shocked No. 3 France Dilao in a thrilling match, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6. Higa faces No. 5 Prince Jan Cuenza, who dispatched Afrancis Kian Tejada, 6-2, 6-1.
In other results, No. 7 Cryztian Dave Yandan defeated Matthew Hamili, 6-4, 6-2, while No. 8 Aaron Palacio dominated Christler Nico Quindoza, 6-0, 6-0.
Vytiaco leads boys’ 16-under quarterfinalists
Top seed Troan John David Vytiaco made quick work of Christler Nico Quindoza, 6-1, 6-3, leading the quarterfinalists in the boys’ 16-under division.
Joining him in the next round are No. 2 Anthony James Cosca, No. 3 Prince Jan Cuenza, No. 4 Akio Kenji Kue, No. 5 Jairo Zeppelin Flores, No. 7 Jayden Aquende, and Otie Paulsen.
Nationwide talent search continues
The Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. National Junior Tennis Championships, a key stop in the nationwide junior talent search backed by Palawan Pawnshop president Bobby Castro and presented by Dunlop, continues to showcase the country’s rising young tennis stars.
With the semifinals set, the competition will intensify as the tournament progresses.