THE ATENEO Blue Eagles lost to the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 78 Champions National University Bulldogs, 2-3, on Wednesday, February 22 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
This loss puts the Blue Eagles at a 1-2 record in the eliminations round of the UAAP Tennis tournament.
The first singles match was a hard fought one, with Blue Eagle rookie Julian Dayrit squaring off against Jeremiah Latorre. Although Dayrit was down by 0-3 in the first set, he gained the momentum and the break point, and eventually tied the set at 3-3. However, Latorre broke Dayrit’s streak and continued on to claim the set (3-6). In the second set, Dayrit got off to a strong start, but Latorre capitalized on Dayrit’s errors to keep the score close. Although Dayrit was able to tie the score at 4-4, Latorre went on to finish the match (4-6).
In the first doubles match, Blue Eagle pair Luke Flores and Erj Gatdula were set to play against Andre Manlangit and Francis Alcantara. Despite being a solid doubles pairing in the Blue Eagles’ line-up, the tandem struggled against the Bulldogs, starting the match slowly. The Blue Eagles were down by 1-4 in the first set, but they kept up with NU’s pace to close in at 3-4. However, NU’s Manlangit and Alcantara took the first set (3-6). Unfortunately, the second set saw the domination of the Bulldog pairing, as the Blue Eagles suffered a 1-5 deficit. Although they managed to take one more game from NU, the Bulldogs finished the match in the next sequence (2-6).
The second singles match featured the outstanding performance of Team Captain Ino Canlas against Chris Prulla. The first set opened with a seesaw battle between Canlas and Prulla. However, Canlas emerged to take the lead and dominated the set until the end (6-3). With the momentum at hand, Canlas began the set in his favor, but Prulla managed to keep the score gap close. After breaking the stalemate and taking the lead for the Blue and White, Canlas almost swept Prulla, however, the Bulldog managed to take one point from the set before the Blue Eagle captain closed the match (6-3).
The second doubles match resulted in favor of the Katipunan-based squad, as Blue Eagles Anton Punzalan and AJ Rivero defeated the Bulldogs pair, Jigo Pena and AJ Alejandre. The first set opened with neck-and-neck performances by both teams with the Bulldogs initially garnering the lead before the Blue Eagles will bring the score back to a tie. However, the Blue Eagle tandem turned the tables and were able to gain the lead until they finished the first set (7-5). The second set redeemed the Blue Eagle pair’s slow start, as they let the Bulldogs’ score continue to bleed until they swept the match (6-2).
The third singles showed the heated match between Blue Eagle chip Marcen Gonzales and Bulldog Arc Dolorito, as this match became the deciding match of the team-tie. Dolorito charged through the first set and maintained a spotless score due to the errors committed by Gonzales (0-6). Although the momentum was with Dolorito, Gonzales managed to make a comeback in the second set by keeping the score gap tight until he gained his first lead of the match (3-2). Shifting from defense to offense, Gonzales went to take the set and extend the match to a third and final set (6-3). However, Gonzales’ perseverance was no match for Dolorito’s, as Gonzales incurred more errors than the Bulldog singles player. Even with Dolorito taking control of the set, Gonzales still managed to take points from Dolorito before the match ended at 4-6.
The Blue Eagles’ Head Coach PJ Tierro expressed that he was disappointed at the performances of his team. Even though four players from the Bulldogs’ championship squad have exited the team, the Blue Eagles were still unable to convert even though the chance was there. “It was a bad loss, it was disappointing… They wanted to win more,” laments Coach Tierro. “This was supposed to be a good opportunity for us to win it, but we blew it.”
The Blue Eagles’ next game will be against the University of the Philippines (UP) on Saturday, February 25, 11AM at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Scores (Ateneo- NU)
1st singles: 3-6, 4-6
2nd singles: 6-3, 6-3
3rd singles: 0-6, 6-3, 4-6
1st doubles: 3-6, 2-6
2nd doubles: 7-5, 6-2
