THE ATENEO Men’s Tennis Team faltered against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Tennisters, 1-4, absorbing their fifth consecutive defeat in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Tennis Tournament. The match happened earlier today, February 25, at the Colegio San Agustin Tennis Stadium in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
The Blue Eagles remain at the bottom of the standings with a 0-5 win-loss record.
Eager to set the tone for the Blue Eagles, Team Co-captain JD Velez went head-to-head against Yassan Al-Anazi of the Green Tennisters. Velez breezed through his Taft-based counterpart in the first set of action, securing a 6-2 victory. The second set proved to be the same story, as the veteran Blue Eagle took down Al-Anazi, 6-3, scoring the first team-tie point for Ateneo, 1-0.
Hoping to ride the momentum, JC Pabillore squared off against DLSU’s Elvin Geluz in the second singles match of the day. The Blue Eagle struggled to find his rhythm in the first set, absorbing a 1-6 defeat. Despite efforts to turn the tide, Pabillore was unable to score a point, suffering a love-set loss, 0-6. This setback put the match in a standstill, 1-1.
Lukas Yupangco then battled Jose Bernardo of the DLSU Green Tennisters in hopes of giving Ateneo the lead back. However, the Blue Eagle rookie struggled to execute his shots effectively, taking a 1-6 defeat in the first set. Yupangco’s woes continued in the second set, falling to another 1-6 loss. With that, the Blue Eagles fell 1-2 in the team-tie, before going into the doubles matches of the day.
Eyeing the equalizer in the team-tie, JB Cuarto and Vito Singson of the Blue Eagles took on DLSU’s Daniel Estanislao and Rupert Tortal. The Katipunan-based duo could not penetrate the Green Tennisters’ defense, losing 1-6 in the first set. The second set unfolded much like the first, as Cuarto and Singson struggled to find their footing, succumbing to a shutout, 0-6. This loss ultimately sealed the Blue Eagles’ search for a victory against DLSU in the team-tie, 1-3.
Aiming to end the day on a high note, Gabby Calilung and Gab Quintana locked horns with Fernando Caesar Po and Marcus Guinoo of the Green and White. The Blue Eagle pair faltered against their Taft-based adversaries in the first set, 1-6. Despite trying to notch a point, Calilung and Quintana could not find an answer for DLSU’s offense, conceding a 0-6 loss to the Green Tennisters. This defeat puts the final team-tie score at 1-4, marking a defeat for the Blue Eagles.
Vying for a breakthrough, the Blue Eagles look to take down the UST Tiger Tennisters on Saturday, February 28, at 7:30 AM, at the same venue.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-DLSU: 1-4
Results:
First Singles: Velez (Ateneo) def. Al-Anazi (DLSU) – 6-2, 6-3
Second Singles: Geluz (DLSU) def. Pabillore (Ateneo) – 6-1, 6-0
Third Singles: Bernardo (DLSU) def. Yupangco (Ateneo) – 6-1, 6-1
First Doubles: Estanislao and Tortal (DLSU) def. Cuarto and Singson (Ateneo) – 6-1, 6-0
Second Doubles: Po and Guinoo (DLSU) def. Calilung and Quintana(Ateneo) – 6-1, 6-0
Current Standings (W-L):
- UP Fighting Maroons (4-1)
- UE Red Warriors (4-1)
- NU Bulldogs (4-1)
- UST Tiger Tennisters (3-2)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (1-4)
- DLSU Green Tennisters (2-4)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-5)
