A DOMINANT display in Season 80 the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Tennis tournament saw the Ateneo Blue Eagles prevail 4-1 in the team-tie over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons on Saturday, March 3 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Courts in Manila.

Bumping their record up to 5-2, the Blue Eagles secure their hold on second place in the standings towards the end of the second round. The win seals Ateneo’s spot in the finals against the top-ranked University of the East (UE) Red Warriors squad, who have yet to drop a match this season.

Missing the services of doubles specialist Anton Punzalan, the Blue Eagles entered the Battle of Katipunan with unyielding resolve. Determined to book their ticket to the final by the day’s end, the team fought with both grit and composure on the court and managed to snag the team-tie by the conclusion of the third match.

Marcen Gonzales went head-to-head with UP’s Joel Atienza in the first singles match. The Blue Eagle veteran showed his usual cool-headed aggression and defeated Atienza in straight sets, drawing first blood for Ateneo with a 6-2, 6-2 finish.

Team Captain Ino Canlas looked to add even more momentum to the Blue Eagles’ favor, dueling with Fighting Maroon Kyle Joseph in the second singles match. Joseph put up a fight for two sets, but struggled to keep up with the superior pace of Canlas, who took the match at 6-2, 6-2.

AJ Rivero made his debut this season, replacing Punzalan as the usual partner of sophomore Julian Dayrit in an exciting first doubles match. With the team-tie hanging in the balance, the Ateneo duo squared off against UP’s Elijah Arevalo and Mimo Tomacruz with the latter pairing taking the first set, 1-6.

Looking to turn the tide, Rivero and Dayrit combined effortlessly on the court, showing unexpected chemistry as first-time partners. With unrelenting grit and heart, the Blue Eagle tandem nailed the third match and the team-tie for Ateneo, as they dismantled their UP foes 6-2, 6-3 in the second and third sets.

Cenon Gonzales starred in the third singles match against Joseph Cano, but fell 0-6, 2-6 for the Fighting Maroons’ only win of the day.

Luke Flores and Erj Gatdula battled UP’s Vincent Alanis and Auden Paduganan in the second doubles match. The tried and tested Blue Eagle pair survived a nail-biting first set, winning 7(7)-6(4) to gain the upper hand. Flores and Gatdula then sealed the win and the 4-1 team-tie finish, taking the second set, 6-4, to end the day.

The Blue Eagles close out the elimination round with a fixture against UE on Sunday, March 11. If the Red Warriors win the final match of the season, they will earn a twice-to-beat advantage entering the finals.

Team-Tie Score

Ateneo 4 UP 1

Match Scores

First Singles Match (Gonzales vs. Atienza): 6-2, 6-2

Second Singles Match (Canlas vs. Joseph): 6-2, 6-2

First Doubles Match (Rivero and Dayrit vs. Arevao and Tomacruz): 1-6, 6-2, 6-3

Second Doubles Match (Flores and Gatdula vs. Alanis and Pagudanan): 7(7)-6(4), 6-4

Third Doubles Match (Gonzales vs. Cano): 0-6, 2-6

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