THE ATENEO Blue Eagles continued their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 78 Lawn Tennis campaign on Sunday, February 7 at the Rizal Memorial Complex Tennis Courts.

After their win over University of the Philippines the week before, the Blue Eagles continued their winning ways with another tightly-contested matchup against last year’s third placers, De La Salle University (DLSU), to take the 3-2 win.

It was Ino Canlas in the first singles against DLSU’s Kyle Parpan. What looked like a tight match in the opening games turned on its head after a trade of breaks in the fourth and fifth games. The Ateneo team captain rallied and played inspired tennis, overpowering the opposition with pounding groundstrokes to break once more. He then took the next eight games to secure a straight-set win (6-3, 6-0).

First Doubles

On court two, the first doubles match saw the pair of Johann Exconde and Luke Flores face off against Joshua Cano and Hans Asistio. The Blue Eagle pair started off strong, securing the double break in the opening games to lead 4-1, before sealing the game at 5-2.

The second set proved a tighter affair however, with each pair holding their service games going into a tiebreak. Reflecting the flow of the set, the duos were tied 6-6 at the second changeover before the DLSU pair rallied to take the second 6-7(6).

The opening of the third set was similar to that of the second, seeing holds from each pair before DLSU broke in the fifth game. Exconde and Flores responded to the pressure by taking the next four games and the match for the Blue and White, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3, to nab the Ateneo a 2-0 lead.

Second Singles

The second singles was another tight affair, as Iyo Canlas went up against Qoqo Allian. Opening the match with a pair of breaks, it was Canlas who broke through first–breaking once more, then holding to take the 4-1 lead. However, Allian fought back to break the Blue Eagles’ serve to reduce the lead to 4-3. Canlas responded, utilizing his consistent, fluid groundstrokes to force errors from his opponent and to reel the next two games to take the first set, 6-3.

Riding the momentum of the first, Canlas opened the second with a break and a hold to lead 2-0. He was given the opportunity to seal the match at 5-3, but Allian continued to find his range, reducing his errors and increasing his winners to take the set to a tiebreak. Canlas finally folded with a netted forehand on set point, giving up the second, 6-7(1).

The third found Canlas in a predicament. After breaking to lead 2-1, Canlas seemed to have twisted his ankle as he ran to hit a forehand in the middle of the fourth game. He would then concede the next two games before falling to the floor once again, ending the match with a retirement, 6-3, 6-7(1), 2-4, while also giving DLSU its first point of the day to put the score at 2-1.

Third Doubles

The third doubles saw the Ateneo’s Erj Gatdula and AJ Rivero battle the pair of Betto Orendain and Akio Sy for a chance to close the tie. The first set had another trade of breaks before the Ateneo pair broke serve, then held to see the set off, 6-4.

The second set saw a tighter matchup. An exchange of breaks opened the games before the Ateneo pair broke and held to lead, 5-3. The DLSU pair responded with a good hold and a break of their own, tying it at 5-all. However, a shaky game from the DLSU pair ended with a double fault, giving the Katipunan-based squad another chance to close the match.

The DLSU pair though, was not yet done, as they pushed the Blue Eagles to a tiebreak. The breaker proved to be the highlight of the day as it saw fantastic winners from each side. But it was the Ateneo who got the early advantage, as they earned match points at 6-4. A double fault saw the pair squander their first, but an error-free second witnessed Gatdula send a scorching inside-out forehand to line, ending the match with a roar from the crowd while securing the win at 3-1.

Third Singles

The last singles saw freshman Marcen Gonzales go up against LA Canizares. The first set had DLSU break Gonzales’ serve from the get-go to lead 4-1. But from there, Gonzales stood his ground and rallied to take the next three games to even things out at 4-all.

The set was then taken to a tiebreaker, but Canizares proved to be the better of the two– dictating play with an intelligent mixture of groundstrokes, slices, and the occasional drop shot–ultimately finishing the set, 6-7(5), off an accurate forehand winner down the line.

The second set saw Gonzales take the initiative, getting the break to take the 4-1 lead. However, a change of momentum saw the Taft-based squad rally from behind to take the set to 5-all. An extremely long drawn-out service game from Gonzales saw DLSU break, then hold. Gonzales handed the match, 6-7(5), 5-7, ending the tie with a 3-2 win in favor of the Blue and White.

This win gives the Ateneo a win-loss record of 2-1 in the UAAP Lawn Tennis tournament. The Blue Eagles will next face the University of the East on Monday, February 8 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Tennis Courts.

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