Sports

Blue Eagles settle for second after tough loss to NU

By and
Published April 13, 2019 at 9:55 pm
Photo by Coco Ledesma

TODAY’S PERFORMANCE marked the end of the Blue Eagles’ electrifying season as they conceded the championship to the National University (NU) Bulldogs, 1-3, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Lawn Tennis Finals on Sunday, April 13 at the Colegio San Agustin-Bulacan Tennis Stadium in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

Gab Tiamson opened the proceedings against Wilson Oblea of NU in the crcucial first singles match. The rookie battled out a tight first set, 6-7, yet was able to salvage the loss with an impressive second set win, 6-3. The turning point came in the decider as the Blue Eagle was outlasted by his NU counterpart, closing the match in the Bulldogs’ favor, 6(5)-7.

Luke Flores and Erj Gatdula faced NU’s Rucel Cero and AJ Alejandre for the men’s first doubles match. The duo braved through the first set with an impressive 6-2 victory. However, the second round was more competitive as the Blue Eagles fell by a narrow deficit, 6-7. In a similar turn of events in the third set, the pair was eventually bested by their NU counterparts in the decider, awarding the Bulldogs their second tie of the day, 6(6)-7.

In a rematch of Tuesday’s tie, Blue Eagle Team Captain Marcen Gonzales took on Allen Manlangit. Both players exchanged the first two sets, 6-3, 1-6, to set up another close finish. Gonzales recovered from a 1-3 deficit to take a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. Despite a 5-5 deadlock down the stretch, a timely service break ultimately awarded Gonzales the match, 7-5, giving Ateneo a lifeline in the tie, 1-2.

The final match of the day saw veterans Julian Dayrit and Bong Gonzales take the court for the men’s second doubles match. Despite having shown exemplary rhythm and coordination in the past, the tandem was no match for Jeric Accion and Justine Prulla’s dominating performance. As early as the first set, the Blue and White failed to keep up with the NU duo’s tempo and was silenced by a 3-6 loss. They were eventually taken down in the second set, 1-6, after falling into a 0-4 hole which concluded Ateneo’s UAAP Season 81 campaign in a downer.

With the defeat, the Blue Eagles narrowly miss out on the UAAP crown and settle for their second-consecutive first-runners up finish in the tourney.

 

Team-tie score: Ateneo 1 NU 3

Box scores:

First singles: Oblea def. Tiamson (Ateneo), 6-7, 6-3, 6(5)-7

First doubles: Cero and Alejandre def. Gatdula and Flores (Ateneo), 6-2, 6-7, 6(6)-7

Second singles: M. Gonzales (Ateneo) def. Manlangit, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5

Second doubles: Accion and Prulla def. Dayrit and B. Gonzales (Ateneo), 3-6, 1-6

 

Photo by Coco Ledesma


How do you feel about the article?

Leave a comment below about the article. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *.

Related Articles


Sports

November 22, 2024

Ateneo Table Tennis Teams nab three victories in successful fourth day

Sports

November 22, 2024

Blue Eagles garner mixed results against rivals in the sands

Sports

November 22, 2024

Blue Eagles falter against Tamaraws, absorb second loss of Season 87

From Other Staffs


Inquiry

November 21, 2024

Evaluating the path forward: How PATHFit is shaping students and instructors

Beyond Loyola

November 20, 2024

The First Polls: A test on the Bangsamoro experiment

News

November 13, 2024

AEWU wins labor case on illegal wage deductions, Ateneo admin appeals decision to Court of Appeals

Tell us what you think!

Have any questions, clarifications, or comments? Send us a message through the form below.