Vicente Anasta and Mark Alcoseba strung up three straight games late in the decider then warded off Jordan Cimafranca and Alberto Villamor’s late charge to hack out a 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 decision and claim the men’s doubles crown in the PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Cup at the Philam Tennis Club in QC over the weekend.
The Anasta-Alcoseba tandem struggled after romping off with a pair of lopsided victories in their title run, escaping with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Rodolfo Barquin Jr. and Vince Salas in the semis then dropping the first set to the unranked Cimafranca-Villamor pair in the finals of the event presented by Dunlop and held in honor of the healing priest and a tennis buff.
But the top-seeded duo regrouped and took the first three games of the second set and never looked back then shattered a 6-all count in the decider by winning the next three games. Though they dropped the next two, they put their act together and finished off Cimafranca and Villamor, who stopped Bryan Saarenas and John Saga, 6-2, 6-4, in their side of the semis in the tournament kicking off the new season of the Palawan Pawnshop- Palawan Express Pera Padala circuit headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Alcoseba, member of the gold medal soft tennis team in the recent SEA Games, later teamed up with Rollie Anasta and thwarted Teddy Danao and Raymond Diaz, 8-5, to capture the title in the 30-years-old division of the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
No. 2 Jayson Benitez and Expedito Lim Jr. repulsed top seed Roland Kraut and Karl Santamaria, 8-7(3), to pocket the 40s diadem while Aldrin Geluz and Nasser Mortiga took the 50s trophy by turning back Jose Barro and Gabby Gatchalian, 8-6.
Meanwhile, the country’s top and rising junior players resume their chase for honors and ranking points as they slug it out in the PPS-PEPP Dinagyang Festival tennis tournament beginning Thursday (Jan. 7). Also on tap in the six-day event are the Legends 40s, 50s and 60s.
Listup is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.