Negrense netter Martina Guba brought home her first national crown for the year by reigning supreme in the girls' 14-Under category of the 18th Andrada Cup Age-Group Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila recently.

Guba, who hails from La Carlota City, breezed to an easy 6-1, 6-4 victory over third seed Shanine Olivarez in the title showdown after beating fourth seed Jasmine Tan Ho in the semifinals.

Guba's father-coach, Socrates, said yesterday that he is happy with his daughter's overall performance even if she was not able to take the girls' 16-Under title.

"The girls' 14-Under championship is what we were aiming for at the start of the hostilities and I'm glad that Martina (Guba) was able to maintain her focus throughout the tournament," Socrates told the DAILY STAR.

Before completing her successful campaign in the 14-Under, Guba, a sophomore at the Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School, retired to top seed Sarah Jane Lim in the semis of the girls' 16-Under division because of blisters.

The 13-year-old was trailing 0-2 in the second set against Lim before retiring after losing the opening set, 3-6.

Guba, who settled for the bronze medal in her first stint in the high school contest of the Palarong Pambansa in 2006 in Naga City, Bicol last year, is now setting her sights on the top honors of the Barias Cup in Iloilo on Jan. 25.

Socrates said that Guba will also have a chance to compete in Malaysia this summer if she emerges as the one of the top three 14-Under netters that will be sponsored by the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association for the international event. *CIT

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