THE ATENEO Blue Eagles were handed a 2-3 defeat by the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Tennisters in their latest University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 bout. The contest was held earlier today at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in the City of Manila.
This loss puts Ateneo’s win-loss record at 3-8, keeping the already-eliminated Blue Eagles at fifth in the elimination round standings.
After heavy rain delayed the first singles match, Ateneo skipper JD Velez went up against Lasallian EJ Geluz in a three-set thriller. The Blue Eagle went down early in the first set after being exhausted by his foe’s strategic shots, 1-5. Reading his opponent’s tactics, however, Velez adjusted his game plan and decided to play from long range to giving him two games, 3-5. Despite the effort, the Katipunan-based tennister did not finish his opponent off as Geluz ended the first set with a great backhand, 3-6.
Eager to even things up, Velez made permanent adjustments to his game while still relying on his long-range strokes and high-IQ shots to give him the edge. In doing so, the Blue Eagle made quick work of Geluz with a 6-0 second-set shutout. With momentum on his side, Velez carried his strong form into the third set, winning 6-3 courtesy of his strong serves that proved difficult for Geluz to return.
On the adjacent court, Blue Eagle Steff Gurria and Green Tennister Yassan Al-Anazi went toe-to-toe in another three-set affair. Starting the match sluggish, Gurria fell victim to Al-Anazi’s quick and explosive close-range play style, 0-2. However, the Blue Eagle quickly gained those two wins back as he matched his adversary’s energy by also playing from close range, 2-2. In the latter half of the frame, Gurria decided to slow the pace of play with long-range volleys, but his strategy was not enough as he dropped the set, 4-6.
With a defensive style being shifted into the game, Gurria played far from the net which gave him a huge advantage in the second frame, 4-2. However, Gurria’s lead shrank as his opponent figured a way to break his protective playstyle, 4-4. Desperate to extend the game to three sets, the Blue Eagle matched his foe’s close-range game which earned him the two wins he needed to reach a tie-breaking set, 6-4.
With the match reaching the four-hour mark, both Gurria and Al-Anazi were reaching their limits as both players played long volleys. However, Gurria fell victim to Al-Anazi’s quick counters, giving the Green Tennister the third set, 4-6.
Looking to avenge his teammate, Ateneo’s JB Cuarto went up against fellow rookie JT Bernardo for the final singles bout of the day. Cuarto used his speed and agility to his advantage; however, Bernardo quickly countered as he played volleys to Cuarto’s detriment, 1-2. With blood in the water, Cuarto did not make up the deficit as the Green Tennister’s forehand proved too strong for the Blue Eagle, 1-6.
With his back against the wall, Cuarto employed a more defensive strategy that did not go into his favor. Due to such a lapse, Cuarto quickly succumbed to his Bernardo in a violation-plagued second frame, 0-6.
Looking to even up the team-tie, Blue Eagles JJ Llavore and Gian Camingue kicked off doubles action against Fern Po and Marcus Guinoo. Together, the Katipunan-based squad engaged in fast-paced play that threw off their opposition’s rhythm, leading to a first-set takeover, 6-1. Continuing this momentum, the Blue Eagles once again held their Taft-based rivals to just two points, leading to an eventual 6-2 victory to even up the team-tie at two apiece.
Similar to their match against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, victory was once again hanging in the balance for Ateneo. Looking to seal the deal were Blue Eagles Rafa Mendoza and Gab Quintana against Green Tennisters Leyton Portin and Ohye Tortal. The Blue and White struggled to keep up in the first set due to Portin’s strategic net play, sinking to a 1-6 defeat. Come the second set, the Blue Eagles were still unable to figure out the answer as they faced a 0-3 deficit. While they were able to win the next game, Ateneo ultimately succumbed to another 1-6 loss, kneeling to the Green Tennisters in team-ties, 2-3.
The Blue Eagles will look to finish strong as they play their last game of the season against the University of Santo Tomas Male Tennisters tomorrow, at 2:00 PM in the same venue.
Team-tie score:
Ateneo-La Salle: 2-3
Results:
First Singles: Velez (Ateneo) def. Geluz (La Salle) — 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
Second Singles: Al-Anazi (La Salle) def. Gurria (Ateneo) — 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Third Singles: Bernardo (La Salle) def. Cuarto (Ateneo) — 6-1, 6-0
First Doubles: Llavore and Camingue (Ateneo) def. Po and Guinoo (La Salle) — 6-1, 6-2
Second Doubles: Portin and Tortal (La Salle) def. Mendoza and Quintana (Ateneo), 6-1, 6-1
Standings (W-L):
- UST Tiger Tennisters (9-1)
- NU Bulldogs (9-2)
- UE Red Warriors (7-3)
- UP Fighting Maroons (7-4)
- Ateneo Blue Eagles (3-8)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2-9)
- DLSU Green Tennisters (1-10)
