Multi-titled Johnny Arcilla and Vicente Anasta kick off their respective campaigns today, along with the other veteran campaigners and rising stars in the Pintaflores Festival Open Tennis Championships at San Carlos Sports Center in San Carlos, Negros Occidental.
Arcilla, a Davis Cup veteran who ruled this event in 2016 to cap his sweep of the four Open titles on the annual Palawan Pawnshop calendar, hopes to bank on his experience as he guns for another plum against the likes of John Altiche, Rodolfo Barquin, Dheo Talatayod, Fritz Verdad, Joseph Enriquez, Ricardo Lagac Jr. and Mark Alcoseba in the upper half of the 32-player draw in men’s singles.
The second ranked Anasta, on the other hand, will have his hands full in the lower bracket that includes defending champion and third seed Bryan Otico, who upended PJ Tierro in come-from-behind fashion in last year’s finals of the annual event held as part of the host city’s Pintaflores Festival celebrations and organized by Criston Carmona.
“This is going to be another exciting week with odds just even among the seeded bets although we expect the young guns to step up and pull some surprises,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Aside from Anasta and Otico, others tipped to contend for the top P40,000 purse in the week-long event presented by Dunlop and TJ’s Clear Art are Noel Damian Jr., Rolando Ruel Jr., Jimmy Tangalin Jr., Leander Lazaro and Marc Enriquez.
Meanwhile, Arcilla and Otico loom as the team to beat in the men’s doubles with Anasta teaming up with Alcoseba and Lazaro with Verdad and Ruel with sibling Arvin Ruel.
Also held simultaneously in the event also sponsored by Mayor Gerardo Valmayor, Vice Mayor Renato Gustilo, Vice Gov. Eugenio Lacson and Julio Ledesma is the age-group division with streaking Alexa Milliam of Pontevedra and Davao’s John David Velez leading the cast that includes bets from Puerto Princesa, Dipolog, Iloilo, Naga, Cebu, Roxas City, La Carlota, Dumaguete, Siquijor, Salug, Caloocan, Alabang and Manila.
For details, call PPS-PEPP Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.”‹