Multi-titled Johnny Arcilla seeks to add another Open crown to his vast trophy collection but faces a slew of hungry rivals in Brookside Open National Tennis Championships unfolding Tuesday at the Brookside Hills courts in Cainta, Rizal.
Hostilities actually kicked off over the weekend with the staging of the two-day qualifiers to accommodate the big number of players bidding to join the Group A tournament that also features Jose Maria Pague, Vicente Anasta, Charles Kinaadman, Ronard Joven, Zion Guia, John Tomacruz and Noel Damian Jr.
Arcilla is coming off a couple of title romps in the Puerto Princesa Open, where he repulsed doubles partner Joven, and in the Pintaflores Festival Open, which he copped as Pague retired due to injury.
But the 22-year-old Pague, from Zamboanga Sibugay, is coming into this week’s event, sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala, Rep. Jack Duavit, BHTC president Allan del Castillo, Ret. PNP Dir. Gen. Oscar Calderon, Ret. Gen. Louizo Ticman and Selective Security Services, in good shape, winning the singles and doubles titles in the Buglasan Open last month.
Kinaadman, 24, is also brimming with confidence, having upended Arcilla in the semifinals on his way to ruling the Gov. Edwin Jubahib Cup in Davao del Norte last September.
That should make the title chase wide open with a host of upcoming junior players, along with the qualifiers and wild card entries eager and ready to showcase their stuff in the event serving as part of the country’s longest talent search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Also on tap is the men’s doubles, led by John Altiche-Anasta, Arcilla-Joven, Kinaadman-Pague and Nilo Ledama-Damian, Rash Manatad-Alberto Villamor, and Marc Jarata-Exequiel Jucutan pairs.
Currently being held is the PPS Brookside Open, a Group I tournament featuring eight age-group categories.
The next Open tournament of the circuit, backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating), is the Zentro Open on Dec. 6-12 at Zentro Recreational Tennis Court in Apalit, Pampanga. For details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 09154046464.
