MARIAN Jade Capadocia put on a strong start in the opening set then rallied late in the second to carve out a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Khim Iglupas and snare the women’s singles crown in the Olivarez Cup Open Tennis Championship at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque yesterday.
But while the 22-year-old Capadocia ended Iglupas’ three-year reign, Johnny Arcilla extended his domination in the men’s side, breaking Eric Olivarez Jr. once in the first set then finishing off the Western Michigan U mainstay with his power game in the next, 6-4, 6-2.
The victory was Arcilla’s fourth in the last five staging of the event put by Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez along with Rep. Eric Olivarez and Dr. Pablo Olivarez as part of the family’s long-time commitment to boost the sport with the veteran Davis Cupper completing his romp without dropping a set.
It was a sorry setback for the 13th-ranked Olivarez, who had hoped to cap his run of reversals that included victories over fourth seed Vicente Anasta, No. 5 Leander Lazaro, and the second seeded PJ Tierro in the semis.
But after holding serve in the first game, he yielded the third and the duo held serve the rest of the way to net Arcilla the opening frame.
Arcilla then imposed his will in the second, breaking his rival in the third and fifth games to fashion out the romp and bank another P50,000 staked in the tournament backed by Palawan Pawnshop, Stronghold Insurance, Milestone Guarantee Assurance Corp. and Sterling Insurance Company.
Capadocia, who has won titles abroad as a junior player and a former PCA Open champion, broke Iglupas right in the second game of the first set, yielded the fifth but broke again in the sixth and eighth en route to victory.
Down, 0-2, in the next frame, Capadocia, who stopped Shaira Rivera in the semis, rebounded by breaking Iglupas in the sixth to draw level, broke in the next to grab the lead but after holding serve in the eighth game and posting a 5-3 lead, she wavered and dropped the next three games, enabling Iglupas to seize a 6-5 lead.
But Capadocia held serve in the 12th game then wore down Iglupas in the tiebreak to complete the straight-set win and pocket the P25,000 top purse.