By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Kathlyn Bugna returned to the PPS-PEPP junior tennis circuit with authority, sweeping three titles in the Governor Edwin Jubahib National Juniors Tennis Championships at the Davao del Norte Sports Tourism Complex in Tagum City.

The Negros Occidental’s La Carlota City native ruled both the girls’ 16-and-under and 18-and-under singles divisions and added the 18-and-under doubles trophy to cap a dominant campaign.

Bugna dropped just six games in four matches in the 16-and-under bracket, finishing with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Cagayan de Oro’s Francine Wong.

Bugna again outclassed Wong in the 18-and-under finals, cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory.

She later teamed up with Teresinha Calingasan to beat Teiko Ello and Maureen Mamaba, 8-4, to complete a clean sweep of her events.

Mlang, Cotabato’s Kresthan Belacas delivered a matching performance on the boys’ side, also collecting three titles to share top honors in the tournament.

Belacas dominated Archie Roceta, 6-1, 6-0, to win the boys’ 14-and-under crown, then outlasted top seed Rein Czar Hayana, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-1, to secure the 16-and-under title.

He also partnered with Joaquin Dacyon to claim the 14-and-under doubles championship with an 8-5 victory over Francis Dimzon and Jay Paspie.

The Tagum tournament served as the final stop of a five-leg Mindanao series, following earlier competitions in General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato, aimed at strengthening the country’s grassroots tennis program./ASC, WDJ