MANILA, Philippines — Kathlyn Bugna further cemented her status as the rising star of Philippine tennis, pulling off a rare and remarkable three-title sweep at the Dr. Pablo Olivarez Sr. National Juniors Championships over the weekend at the Olivarez Sports Center and Parañaque courts.
Displaying a potent mix of athleticism, composure and championship pedigree well beyond her years, the 14-year-old prodigy from La Carlota City delivered another MVP performance, dominating not just in her age group, but conquering older divisions to underline her growing supremacy on the junior tennis circuit presented by Dunlop.
Bugna, already top-seeded in both the girls’ 14-and-under and 16-and-U categories, lived up to expectations by sweeping through both fields with clinical efficiency. She dismantled second seed Shaner Gabaldon, 6-1, 6-3, to clinch the 14-U title, then breezed past fourth seed Astrid Cablitas, 6-2, 6-2, to rule the 16-U division.
But it was her fearless run in the 18-and-U class – a category that traditionally challenges even seasoned juniors – that turned heads. After crushing second seed Dania Bulanadi with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 semifinal win, Bugna fended off the in-form Melatiah Pascua, who had earlier ousted top seed Izabelle Camcam, 6-0, 6-2, with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 victory in the finals.
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The victory marked another impressive tournament conquest, following back-to-back title runs in the Cong. Eric Olivarez National Open, where she also ruled the 14- and 16-and-under events. Her winning streak now spans 10 titles across five major cities, including Iloilo, Bacolod, Roxas, Kalibo, and Cebu, making her one of the most dominant junior players in recent memory.
She didn’t stop there. Teaming up with Isabel Calingasan, Bugna added a fourth title to her trophy haul in Parañaque, capturing the girls’ 14-and-U doubles crown.
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What sets Bugna apart isn’t just her power and precision on the court, but her remarkable composure and tennis IQ – traits rarely seen in someone so young. Her success is a shining reflection of the Team Batang Onay grassroots program, which aims to discover and hone raw regional talent through consistent national exposure and competition.
Also emerging as a standout was Cristiano Calingasan of Balanga, Bataan, who clinched the boys’ MVP title with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory over Yuan Torrente in the boys’ 14-and-under finals.
Other winners in the two-week-long tournament, sanctioned by Philta, Universal Tennis, and ICON Golf & Sports, and held under the Palawan Pawnshop junior tennis program led by president/CEO Bobby Castro, were Athena Liwag (Olongapo City) – girls’ 12-U, defeating Clara Hosaka 6-4, 6-2; Jonathan Higa (Taguig) – boys’ 18-U, overpowering Gavin Kraut 6-2, 6-2; Julio Naredo (Quezon City) – boys’ 16-U, routing Alexandre Coyiuto 6-0, 6-1; Tyrone Caro (San Pedro City) – boys’ 12-U over Torrente, 6-3, 6-3; and Antonio Angeles (Quezon City) – 10-U unisex, edging Matias Aguilera, 2-4, 6-4, 10-6.
In doubles, Bulanadi and Liwag bagged the girls’ 18-U title, Coyiuto and Naredo took the boys’ 18-U trophy, while Vivaan Garg and Mattias Go dominated the boys’ 14-U event. Abacan and Maximus Calingasan triumphed in the 10-U unisex doubles division. TMT
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