FACING AN uphill battle from yesterday’s loss, the Ateneo Men’s Tennis Team (AMTT) struggled to overcome the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 1-4, in their second match of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88. The battle occurred earlier today, February 15, at the Colegio San Agustin Tennis Stadium in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
This setback keeps the Blue Eagles tied for the bottom of the elimination round standings with a 0-2 record in the UAAP Men’s Tennis Tournament.
Opening the contest, Ateneo’s Gab Quintana made his Season 88 singles debut against the Soaring Falcons’ John Jumamoy. The Blue Eagle managed to gain two impressive points in the first set, but failed to keep up with his adversary’s offense, 2-6. In the second set, Quintana’s efforts were quickly dashed as he found difficulty containing Jumamoy, failing to get Ateneo their first team-tie win, 1-6.
Team Captain JD Velez then stepped to the court in the second singles match of the day, continuing his streak of dominance with a decisive rout of AdU’s Angelo Rosales. The Ateneo ace found his stride in the first set, overwhelming his opposition with two-way prowess, 6-1. The veteran then doubled down on his performance in the second set by denying Rosales any form of momentum, 6-3, to net Ateneo its first team-tie score of the day. The victory kept Velez’s personal Season 88 record unblemished.
Looking to gain the advantage in the team-tie score, the Blue Eagles enlisted JC Pabillore to face Nikki Lumahang in the crucial and final singles match. While Pabillore’s engine did not falter, the Atenean athlete struggled to contain his adversary’s serves, falling behind 1-6. Despite an even stronger showing in the following set, Pabillore could not convert his chances into enough points, succumbing 2-6.
Determined to keep Ateneo in the fight, Vito Singson and Gabby Calilung took on AdU’s Kurt Correos and Miecoz Candelasa in a do-or-die matchup. The Katipunan-based duo faced minor turbulence in gaining points in the first set that quickly saw them down in the match, 2-6. Despite reinforcing their partnership in the second set, a drought in offensive output ended the Blue Eagles weekend with another tough defeat, 0-6.
In the dead rubber match, the pair of JB Cuarto and Lukas Yupangco looked to score Ateneo’s second team-tie point against Joseph Butcon and Albretch Job. The first set found the Blue Eagle duo settling into the match, battling to find momentum that cost them the opening set, 1-6. In the second set, Cuarto and Yupangco found their rhythm, keeping up with their adversaries’ aggression point for point. However, defensive lapses eventually handed Ateneo the defeat, 3-6, in a difficult showing for the Blue and White.
The AMTT will look to hit their stride and gain their first win when they return to face the NU Bulldogs on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:30 AM in the same venue.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-AdU: 1-4
Results:
First Singles: Jumamoy (AdU) def. Quintana (Ateneo), 2-6, 1-6
Second Singles: Velez (Ateneo) def. Rosales (AdU), 6-2, 6-3
Third Singles: Lumahang (AdU) def. Pabillore (Ateneo), 1-6, 2-6
First Doubles: Correos and Candelesa (AdU) def. Singson and Calilung (Ateneo), 2-6, 0-6
Second Doubles: Butcon and Job (AdU) def. Cuarto and Yupangco (Ateneo), 1-6, 3-6
Current Standings (W/L):
- UE Red Warriors (2-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (2-0)
- UST Tiger Tennisters (1-0)
- NU Bulldogs (0-1)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (1-1)
- DLSU Green Tennisters (0-2)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-2)
