THE UST Male Tennisters finally broke their pre-season jinx at the expense of UAAP rival De La Salle University as they swept their way into the Inter-Collegiate title of the 2007 PCA Open tennis championship.
In a rematch between last year’s finalists, the España-based tennisters whipped La Salle, 3-0, to capture the men’s team diadem last November 11 at the PCA covered courts. In contrast, the Lady Tennisters bowed to their La Salle counterparts and settled for another bridesmaid finish.
Buoyed by their 10-5 shellacking of La Salle in the first set, the Season 69 champions pressed on the attack further as the hard-hitting tandem of Ryan Repunte and Kean Barraquias ruled the second set to virtually seal the deal for the Male Tennisters.
Rifling fiery volleys and well-placed shots, the Taft-based tennisters jumped out of the gates early on for a 2-5 advantage. But UST hardly stuttered, taking six straight games to take a comfortable 8-5 lead.
Veterans Maclean Barraquias and Alexander Diego then finalized the score with an 8-7 victory to cap their three-game sweep of the series.
Earlier in the tournament, the Tennisters trounced Rizal Technological University, 10-2, 10-2, 10-2, last November 8 and humbled the University of the Philippines, 6-10, 10-5, 10-7, last November 10.
Falling short
Unlike the Male Tennisters, the Lady Tennisters failed to complete their finals assignment as they bowed to a gritty La Salle squad, 1-2.
Lady Tennisters Kwin Bilugan and Season 69 MVP Arra Micayabas fought La Salle on even terms in the first set, but fell a game shy of nipping the Lady Archers, no thanks to a wayward smash that landed on the wrong side of the baseline, paving the way for the Taft-based crew’s 9-10 escape.
Determined to avenge a heartbreaking first set, the UST tandem of Nikki Manalo and Kathy Castro blanked the opposition in the succeeding match, 10-0, to forge a decider.
But La Salle’s resiliency proved too much for Lady Tennisters Heather Mae Herrera and Cristina Santos as they yielded a 3-10 loss to finally drop UST’s title aspirations.
“I am disappointed with the result,” Lady Tennisters coach Dennis Sta. Maria told the Varsitarian.
“I really wanted to beat La Salle in the finals; we match up well against them. Unfortunately we fell short.”
Going into the finals, the Season 69 titlists drubbed Ateneo De Manila University, 10-3, 10-3, 1-8 last November 10.
