DESPITE A hearty showing in the final two games, the Ateneo Women’s Lawn Tennis Team bowed down to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Female Tennisters with a close 2-3 loss during the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 opener.
Today’s matches were held earlier at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Court in the City of Manila.
For the Blue and White’s closing act of the season opener, Team Captain Althea Ong and the Mariam Garsin-Althea Martirez duo managed to dish out dominant wins in the third singles and in the second doubles matches, respectively.
When asked about the team’s performance for the season curtain-warmer, Coach Jennifer Saret lauded the team’s effort in playing versus a strong lineup as the team in yellow spelled good fortune.
“It’s a tough match playing versus UST as they have a good lineup. But it’s a good start as it (the 2-3 output) increased their [the Blue Eagles] level of play. It’s a good fortune in a way that they’re not giving up, working on every point, and are not easily frustrated,” said the team’s mentor.
Saret then emphasized the Blue and White’s grit, as “they stayed there, hanged in there, and fought all the way.”
Ong, despite suffering from a right shoulder spasm and a medical timeout, dished out a clean 3-6, 6-4, and 6-1 drubbing of UST’s Justine Maneja to conclude the day on a high note.
Meanwhile, the couplet of Garsin-Martirez first suffered a 1-6 bludgeoning in the hands of UST’s Princess Gom-os and Princess Dela Rita as the latter unpacked stronger rallies and consecutive runs. However, the yellow-clad team was unaware that the Blue Eagles were sharpening their talons after all.
From thereon, the Katipuneras sheathed out a string of close-net shots and pinpoint services that trapped the España tennisters between cobwebs, retaking the momentum to successfully erect a two-peat 6-3 finish during the final sets.
For the first doubles match, Ateneo’s Nina Sandejas and Chelsea Roque powered their way through the first minutes versus UST’s Miles Vitaliano and Menneth Bentillo but fell short in upending the latter’s commanding cakewalk towards a 2-6 and 0-6 finish.
Ateneo’s Melanie Faye Dizon then took on the challenge to snap the slump in the second singles match of the day, yet sadly caved into Kaye Emana’s stronger and consistent smashes and ended the bout with a 5-7 and 0-6 record.
On the other hand, the sun favored the foe in yellow as Tricia Howard succumbed to Alexei Santos’ masterclass with a two-peat 0-6 finish for the first singles match.
Eager to tell a different story for tomorrow, the Blue and White will butt heads against the De La Salle University Lady Tennisters on Sunday, 1:00 PM, at the same venue on their home soil.
