THE ATENEO Lady Eagles pulled off a close victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Women’s Lawn Tennis Tournament against the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, 3-2, on Sunday, February 17, at the Colegio San Agustin-Bulacan Tennis Stadium in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

Jana Pages went on a hot start in the first singles match, as she dominated Lady Bulldog Zan Dumlao by flirting with a near double-bagel win, 6-0, 6-1, which leveled the team tie at 1-all after rookie Bettina Bautista was bested by Clarice Patrimonio, 0-6, 1-6, in the second singles match.

The duo of Nicole Amistad and Janelle Llavore continued the Ateneo surge as they breezed past their NU counterparts Gizza Antalan and Aliah Ragunton, 6-2, 6-1, which handed the Lady Eagles the lead in the team-tie, 2-1.

Martina Bautista and Jana Hernandez played the second doubles match of the day, facing off against Szash Canja and Annie Tumanda. The pair kept it close with the Lady Bulldogs to win the first set 7-6. However, errors plagued the Ateneo pair who eventually dropped the following two sets, 2-6, 2-6, knotting the team-tie score, 2-2.

In the deciding match, Lady Eagles rookie Shaira Rivera lined up to play the third singles match. Rivera shined in her UAAP debut against Alysa Bornia, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1 to give Ateneo the team-tie victory at 3-2.

The Lady Eagles will look to add to today’s win at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 23, at the same venue.

Team-tie score: Ateneo 3 NU 2

Set scores:

First Singles: Pages (Ateneo) def. Dumlao, 6-0, 6-1

Second Singles: Patrimonio def. B. Bautista (Ateneo), 1-6, 0-6, 1-6

Third Singles: Rivera (Ateneo) def. Bornia, 6-2, 6-1

First Doubles: Amistad and Llavore (Ateneo) def. Antalan and Ragunton, 6-2, 6-1

Second Doubles: Canja and Tumanda def. Hernandez and M. Bautista (Ateneo), 7-6, 2-6, 2-6

Photo courtesy of Fides Bagasbas