THE ATENEO Women’s Lawn Tennis Team dropped to a 1-1 record in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 after a come-from-behind triumph by the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Tennisters, 3-2, on Saturday, February 23, at the Colegio San Agustin-Bulacan Tennis Stadium in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
The duo of Nicole Amistad and Janelle Llavore started things in rhythm for the Lady Eagles as they easily brushed off their DLSU counterparts, Dani Salvador and Jenni Dizon, in two quick sets, 6-1, 6-1, to give Ateneo its first team-tie victory.
[First Doubles]
Amistad and Llavore grabs the first team-tie win for Ateneo as they dominate the second set, 6-1.
Set Score: Ateneo 2 DLSU 0
Team Tie Score: Ateneo 1 DLSU 0#UAAPTennis pic.twitter.com/BzRrYVq9Qq— Ra Solomon (@Ra_TheGUIDON) February 23, 2019
Rookie Shaira Rivera then picked-up where she left off last Sunday after hacking out another stellar straight-set victory over Lady Tennister Akiko De Guzman, 6-0, 6-2, which gave the Lady Eagles the favorable 2-0 lead in the team tie.
[Second Singles]
A double fault from De Guzman hands Rivera the 6-2 second set triumph and the second team-tie victory for Ateneo!
Set Score: Ateneo 2 DLSU 0
Team Tie Score: Ateneo 2 DLSU 0 #UAAPTennis pic.twitter.com/YUNFTHjr7G— Ra Solomon (@Ra_TheGUIDON) February 23, 2019
However, the tide started to shift in DLSU’s favor soon after. Lady Eagle Bettina Bautista was bested by Aubrey Calma 3-6, 4-6, for the Lady Tennisters’ first win in the tie. DLSU’s Angel Santiago then continued their surge as she carved out a 6-2, 6-1 win over Lady Eagle Martina Bautista.
[First Singles]
A valiant effort from Bautista ends with a 4-6 defeat in the second set after committing a return error in a grueling rally.
Set Score: Ateneo 0 DLSU 2
Team Tie Score: Ateneo 2 DLSU 1 #UAAPTennis pic.twitter.com/6EFagAQ0MQ— Ra Solomon (@Ra_TheGUIDON) February 23, 2019
[Third Singles]
M. Bautista drops two straight games and succumb to Calma in the second set, 1-6.
Set Score: Ateneo 0 DLSU 2
Team Tie Score: Ateneo 2 DLSU 2 #UAAPTennis— Ra Solomon (@Ra_TheGUIDON) February 23, 2019
With the team tie deadlocked at 2-2, the pressure was on the shoulders of tandem Jana Hernandez and Jana Pages to propel the Lady Eagles to the win.
Pitted against Jed Aquino and Arianne Nillasca, Hernandez and Pages played with tremendous chemistry in the first set as they dispatched their DLSU counterparts, 6-3. Although they started things hot, the Lady Eagles lost tempo in the second frame as Lady Tennisters Aquino and Nillasca responded with a 6-2 domination in the second set.
In the set that would decide the match and the tie, the Lady Eagles retaliated with composure, taking a 5-4 third set lead off a Pages winner. However, it proved to be Ateneo’s last hurrah as the Lady Tennisters took over from then on. Aquino and Nillasca’s momentum proved to be too much as they grabbed the next three sets for a hard-fought 5-7 third set win over the Lady Eagles to give DLSU the 3-2 team-tie triumph.
[Second Doubles]
After a gruelling 6-deuce game, DLSU is unable to return a powerful shot from Pages to give Ateneo a game away from winning the set!
Third Set Score: Ateneo 5 DLSU 4#UAAPTennis pic.twitter.com/HLsf5WMr1B
— Ra Solomon (@Ra_TheGUIDON) February 23, 2019
[Second Doubles]
A hard-fought third set from Pages and Hernandez ends in heartbreaking fashion as they are bested by DLSU in 12 gruelling games.
Third Set Score: Ateneo 5 DLSU 7
Set Score: Ateneo 1 DLSU 2
Team Tie Score: Ateneo 2 DLSU 3#UAAPTennis pic.twitter.com/bO54U6CKCU— Ra Solomon (@Ra_TheGUIDON) February 23, 2019
The Lady Eagles look to bounce back from this heartbreaking loss tomorrow at 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 24 against University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses at the same venue.
Team-tie score: Ateneo 2 DLSU 3
Set scores:
First Singles: Calma def. B. Bautista (Ateneo), 6-3, 6-4
Second Singles: Rivera (Ateneo) def. De Guzman, 6-0, 6-2
Third Singles: Santiago def. M. Bautista (Ateneo), 6-2, 6-1
First Doubles: Amistad and Llavore (Ateneo) def. Salvador and Dizon, 6-1, 6-1
Second Doubles: Aquino and Nillasca def. Hernandez and Pages (Ateneo), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
