Heras, Villanueva triumph

Isabel Heras serves to Tania Tan during their women’s open singles match in the 2017 White Coconut Tennis Classic yesterday at the Pacific Islands Club courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Junior players Isabel Heras and Moris Villanueva led the champions circle in the 2017 White Coconut Tennis Classic after topping their respective rivals yesterday at the Pacific Islands Club courts.

Villanueva clinched the men’s open singles crown following a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Bobby Cruz in their morning title match, while Heras gained the women’s open singles tiara after ruling the round-robin contest.

Villanueva, who got last year’s U16 singles crown, finally brought home his first men’s open singles championship in the annual tournament after losing in the semis last season and having a bridesmaid finish in 2015.

In the women’s open singles, Heras earned a 2-0 mark in the division after beating Tania Tan yesterday afternoon, 6-3, 6-3. Heras also won against Malika Miyawaki in a similar score yesterday morning, while Tan took runner-up honors in the division as she defeated Miyawaki last Saturday, 6-1, 6-1.

Meanwhile, J.C. Ferrer, Lahunn Lam, Hoo Wang, and Daniel Kang were also crowned champions in the 2017 White Coconut Tennis Classic.

Kang bagged the boys U12 singles championship after downing Richard Steele in the finals, 6-3, 6-4. The top-seeded Kang advanced to the title match after eliminating Jaeyun Jung in their semis match last Sunday, 6-2, 6-1. The second-ranked Steele also took only two sets to oust Anthony Gregoire last Sunday, 6-2, 6-1, and set up the finals showdown between the Top 2 seeds in the draw. Jung went on to join Kang and Steele in the podium after outlasting Gregoire in the consolation game, 7-5, 4-6, 10-8.

In the girls U12 singles, Ferrer went 4-0 in the round-robin competition, securing the division title after beating Anika Camacho yesterday, 6-3, 6-2. Ferrer’s three other victories in the division were against Helen Kim, 6-1, 6-1, Seo Hee Lee, 6-0, 6-0, and Hyejin Elliot (walkover).

In the girls U10 singles, Wang was also undefeated to top the division. She first edged Boomee Park in the opening week of the tournament, 7-6, and then whipped Chelsea Kang last Sunday, 6-1 to clinch the division title. Park took the runner-up honors as she defeated Kang yesterday, 6-3, 6-1.

In the boys U10 singles, Lam posted a pair of convincing wins to gain the championship in his group. He dominated Sam Cope last Sunday, 6-1, and had another lopsided victory (similar score) against Nason Wessel yesterday to bring home the division championship. Wessel finished second in the division as he earlier shut down Cope, 6-0, in their last Saturday showdown.