THE ATENEO Men’s Lawn Tennis Team (AMLTT) returned to the win column with a 3-2 victory over the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Tennisters. The Blue Eagles’ third bout in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Lawn Tennis tournament was held earlier today at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in the City of Manila.
The result puts the AMLTT at a 2-1 win-loss record in the elimination round, placing them at fourth in the standings.
Veteran JJ Llavore opened the rivalry fixture with the Blue Eagles’ first singles match against Green Tennister Rupert Tortal. The Blue and White skipper tamed Tortal in the first set amid constant game deuces, 6-3. Having analyzed his foe’s shots, Llavore made quick work of the second set with a masterclass performance, 6-1, to earn Ateneo’s first team-tie score of the day.
Team Co-Captain JD Velez stepped on the court for the second singles match of the morning to take on DLSU’s Yassan Al-Anazi. Repeating his opening day performance, Velez outshined his opponent on both sets to take the team’s second team-tie score, 2-0. Despite an early 1-3 disadvantage in the second set, the Blue Eagle refused the Lasallian’s efforts for a deciding set as Velez put together five straight to clinch another team-tie win, 6-3.
With the Katipunan-based team one match away from a win, Co-Captain Stef Gurria vied for the Blue Eagles’ third team-tie score of the day against the Green and White’s Elvin Geluz. However, the Green Tennister knocked down the Atenean skipper in both sets, 6-1 and 7-5, to keep La Salle’s chances alive.
In one of two doubles matches between the longtime rivals, Blue and White stalwarts JB Cuarto and Rafa Mendoza faced off Green Tennisters Leyton Portin and Marcus Guinoo. Having dropped the first three games, the Blue Eagles eventually broke through their opponents’ unguarded court to nab one of their own, 1-3. Despite the supposed morale boost for the Blue and White, Portin and Guinoo outwitted Cuarto and Mendoza, with the Green Tennisters stealing the opening set with pristine placement shots, 6-3.
As the second frame went underway, the Atenean duo figured out their lapses to win the first game, 1-0. However, consistency spelled the name of the game, with a 6-0 run by DLSU putting both teams at two-all in the team-tie score.
Now with the Blue Eagles at sudden death, Aidyll Ignacio and Gian Camingue faced Taft adversaries Darwin Cosca and Jose Tomas Bernardo in the final doubles match. Camingue’s aggressive approach proved to be high risk but high reward—resulting in a favorable 4-2 lead. While mishaps in their playmaking occurred throughout the canto, the Ateneo tandem pulled through a tiebreak to secure the first set in the AMLTT’s favor, 7-6.
With both duos replicating the same intensity in the second set, a five-all deuce sent the duel into a skirmish, as both squads now raced to win two more games than their opponent. To the Blue and White’s fortune, a powerful smash by rookie Camingue handed the Ateneo their second victory of the tournament, 7-6.
Following the conclusion of the last bout, co-captain Velez reflects on the team’s 3-2 team-tie performance following the conclusion of the last bout. “I think we did really well. We have to train to improve [our] games, [but] other than that, we’re good,” the sophomore expressed after Ateneo’s bounce-back win a few days removed from their first loss.
The AMLTT hopes to build on this win as they prepare to smash through the defending champions University of Santo Tomas Golden Tennisters tomorrow, March 2, at 2:00 PM in the same venue.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-DLSU: 3-2
Results:
First Singles: Llavore (Ateneo) def. Tortal (DLSU) – 6-3, 6-1
Second Singles: Velez (Ateneo) def. Al-Anazi (DLSU) – 6-3, 6-3
Third Singles: Geluz (DLSU) def. Gurria (Ateneo) – 6-1, 7-5
First Doubles: Ignacio and Camingue (Ateneo) def. Cosca and Bernardo (DLSU) – 7-6, 7-6
Second Doubles: Portin and Guinoo (DLSU) def. Cuarto and Mendoza (Ateneo) – 6-3, 6-1
Current Standings:
- UST Male Tennisters (2-0)
- NU Bulldogs (2-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (2-1)
- Ateneo Blue Eagles (2-1)
- UE Red Warriors (1-1)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (1-2)
- DLSU Green Tennisters (0-4)
