MANILA — Negrense tennis prospect Kathlyn Bugna stamped her class across two age divisions, completing a dominant triple-crown romp in the Bagong Pilipinas Juniors Age Group Tennis Championships at the Capitol indoor and outdoor courts in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
The Batang Onay/RSB standout from La Carlota City captured the girls’ 16-and-under and 18-and-under singles championships before teaming up with Ashley Garcia for the 18-and-U doubles title, matching her three-title feat in the Manila leg of the Bagong Pilipinas circuit.
Bugna was nearly untouchable in the 16-and-U division, conceding only four games in four matches before overwhelming Justine Gumbao, 6-0, 6-2, in the championship match.
The young Negrense was even more ruthless in the premier 18-and-U category, surrendering just five games throughout four matches and punctuating her title run with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Princess Obaniana in the final.
Bugna then completed her three-title haul alongside Garcia as they captured the 18-and-U doubles crown at the expense of Dyan Placa and Marxian Sira.
Her latest sweep earned Bugna another Most Valuable Player trophy in the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) and Universal Tennis Ranking-sanctioned circuit, further underscoring her emergence as one of the country’s leading junior prospects.
Bugna hopes to continue her development and eventually follow the path blazed by Alex Eala, who has risen to international prominence.
Her rise comes amid expanded government and private-sector efforts to strengthen the country’s grassroots tennis pipeline.
The tournament forms part of the Bagong Pilipinas sports agenda and is staged under the long-running Palawan Pawnshop talent-search program, which seeks to provide young athletes with more competitive opportunities through grassroots tournaments, public training facilities and youth sports initiatives nationwide.
On the boys’ side, Krelz Gecosala matched Bugna’s dominance by ruling both the 16-and-U and 18-and-U singles divisions.
Gecosala surrendered only four games in four matches in the 16-and-U category, capped by a 6-0, 6-1 rout of Rein Hayana in the championship match.
He followed it up by securing the centerpiece 18-and-U crown with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Kurt Alcantara.
Other champions in the second leg of the circuit’s Mindanao swing were Kresthan Belacas and Gumbao in the 14-and-U division and Liam Harrow and Athena Guarde in the 12-and-U category.
Belacas defeated Rafael Pascua, 6-3, 6-4, while Gumbao rebounded from her 16-and-U finals defeat by beating Teresinha Calingasan, 1-0 (ret.).
Harrow turned back Francis Dimzon, 6-2, 6-4, while unranked Guarde produced one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Guarde stunned top seed Arissa Macapendeg, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinals before dominating Len Falconitin, 6-2, 6-1, in the championship match./PN
