PRESS RELEASE
Veteran Johnny Arcilla recovered his bearing and rhythm in time and dominated Vicente Anasta late in the match, fashioning out a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-0, victory to complete a three-peat in the fifth Olivarez Cup Open Tennis Championship at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat last Sunday.
The second seeded Arcilla shrugged off an opening frame loss and pulled through in a tight second-set duel before imposing his will and strength in the last two to frustrate the fourth-ranked Anasta in a grueling three-hour and 15-minute encounter and nail the men’s Open singles crown for the third straight year.
Arcilla, who pounced on a cramps-stricken Patrick John Tierro to retain the crown last year, took home P40,000.
Khim Iglupas repulsed Edilyn Balanga, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4, to annex the ladies Open singles diadem in the annual event presented by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Padala and sanctioned by Philta with Technifibre as the official ball. The 16-year-old Iligan City native and mainstay of the Philippine Tennis Academy-Manila pocketed P15,000.
Philippine Tennis Association president and Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez was on hand during the awards rites graced by the other top finishers in the various age-group categories of the two-week long event also held in honor of Dr. Pablo Olivarez, one of the founding fathers of Philippines tennis, on his 80th birthday.
National University, meanwhile, stamped its class in the Intercollege tournament with its men’s team, handled by coaches Karl Sta. Maria and Ronard Joven, beating UST while its Team A edged its Team B in an all-NU finals in the ladies side.
Elorde Tennis Club, headed by Marty Elorde and Benjie Puyat, defeated Mandaluyong TC to clinch the Interclub crown in the four-in-one tournament which also featured the age-grouper.
