Alapag-Ibañez tandem leads Davao champs
The Marcial Alapag III-Michael Ibañez and Tereza Tanzo-Emma Florida pairs came up with supreme games to dominate their respective divisions in the Novice level of the Pickle Fest 2026 Adult Categories Sectional Tournament at Pickletown in Davao recently.
Showcasing sharp court awareness, Alapag-Ibañez banked on precise third-shot drops and well-timed put-aways to outduel Nur Sultan Pumbaya-James Astacaan, 15-8, and clinch the gold medal in the men’s doubles 20+ age class.
The pair dictated the tempo early, mixing deep serves with patient dink exchanges before finishing rallies with decisive overhead smashes.
In the women’s doubles 35+ division, Tanzo-Florida imposed its net presence and consistency to secure a 15-7 win over Stephanie Yap-Kathryn Ortiz in the finals.
Also striking gold in the Novice level were Christian Falcon and Joy Serra (20+ mixed doubles) Michael Tanzo and Adrian Pineda (35+ men’s doubles).
