THE ATENEO Women’s Lawn Tennis Team (AWLTT) triumphed over the University of Santo Tomas Lady Tennisters (UST) on the third day of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Women’s Lawn Tennis Tournament.
The AWLTT earned the much-needed win earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Court in the City of Manila. With the result of today’s matchups, the Blue Eagles nab their first win of the season, improving their win-loss record to 1-2, good for fourth place as of writing.
Tricia Howard opened today’s matchup for the Blue and White against UST’s Alex Santos in the first Singles match. Persistent errors and unreturned serves by the Blue Eagle allowed the Lady Tennisters to take the first set, 0-6. Despite valiant efforts for a comeback, UST took the second set, 6-1, giving the Lady Tennisters their first team-tie point of the day.
Team captain Melanie Dizon and Mariam Garsin put Ateneo back on track with a dominant showing against UST’s Clarizza Caorte and Nicole Bautista in the first Doubles match. The duo’s energetic start to the first set allowed them to take the first set point, 6-0. The Blue Eagles’ continued aggressiveness won them the second set, 6-2. This gave Ateneo their first team-tie point of the day, 1-1 .
Tracy Llamas gave the Blue Eagles another team-tie point with the second Singles match against UST’s Princess Gom-os. A close first set persisted until the Lady Tennister was forced to retire, 5-4 in favor of Ateneo. This gave Ateneo the early team-tie advantage in the matchup.
Noelle Urgello and Nina Sandejas could not overcome their errors against UST, losing the matchup in two sets. The Lady Tennister’s Miles Vitaliano and Patricia Lim quickly won the first set, 6-0. Unforced errors from the Blue and White carried over, as UST took the second set, 6-0. This loss tied the matchups, 2-2.
Althea Ong earned the crucial two-set win over UST’s Princess Dela Rita in the third Singles match. Ong made quick work of the competition in the first set, 6-1. Although the Lady Tennister attempted a comeback late in the second set, the Ateneo sophomore-stalwart closed off the match, 6-3.
The AWLTT look to carry over their momentum as they go against the De La Salle University Women’s Lawn Tennis Team, Saturday, March 25, at 12:00 PM in the same venue.
Women’s Team Tie Score: Ateneo-UST: 3-2
First Women’s Singles: Howard lost to Santos, 0-6, 1-6
First Women’s Doubles: Dizon & Garsin def. Caorte & Bautista, 6-0, 6-2
Second Women’s Singles: Llamas def. Gom-os (ret.), 5-4
Second Women’s Singles: Urgello & Sandejas lost to Vitaliano & Lim, 0-6, 0-6
Third Women’s Singles: Ong def. Dela Rita, 6-1, 6-3
