Jan Cadee Dagoon and Astrid Cablitas headline a strong field for the Zentro Juniors Age-Group Championships, which gets underway Thursday, October 1, at the Zentro courts and Pulilan Tennis Club in Pulilan, Bulacan.
Dagoon returns to the junior tennis circuit with her sights set on titles in both the girls’ 16-and-under and 18-and-under divisions. The weeklong tournament marks the resumption of the Palawan Pawnshop junior circuit after its September swing through Mindanao.
The Group 2 tournament, sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association, has reached its maximum field of 256 players from across the country. The boys’ and girls’ 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-and-under categories each feature 32-player draws, with ranking points adding further significance to the competition.
Dagoon and Cablitas lead the premier girls’ singles divisions. They will be joined by several other promising players, including Ayl Gonzaga, Michael Suarez, Ava Banson, Lilith Rufino, Claire Alcala and Amanda Barrido in the 16-and-under field.
Gonzaga, Suarez and Banson will also move up to the 18-and-under division, where they face Claire Casiller, Ashley Garcia and Sofia Demadara in another competitive lineup.
The boys’ divisions feature a similarly deep field. Martin Paulsen, Vivan Garg, Anthony Cosca and Troan Vytiaco headline the 16-and-under roster, while Gavin Kraut leads the 18-and-under cast alongside several of the tournament’s other top young players.
The younger divisions will also showcase emerging talent. Ella Paglalunan, Barrido, Rufino and Anica Palacio are among the players in the girls’ 14-and-under field, while Jan Villeno, Juan Antonio Cablitas, Raven Licayan and Godfrey Buan II are expected to contend in the boys’ division.
In the 12-and-under categories, Liam Harrow, Licayan, Rafael Cablitas and Raven de Guzman lead the boys’ field, while Ellythia Comia, Jaynelle Castro and Brielle Loyola are among the girls’ players to watch.
Doubles titles in the boys’ and girls’ 14-and-under and 18-and-under divisions will also be contested, adding another layer to the weeklong ranking tournament.
With a full 256-player field and multiple age groups competing for titles and ranking points, the Zentro Juniors Championships is set to provide another major platform for the country’s rising tennis players.
