Jose Maria Pague clipped Vicente Anasta with a superb all-around game, coming away with a 6-2, 6-2 romp to crown himself the new Brookside Open National Tennis champion at the Brookside Hills courts in Cainta, Rizal over the weekend.
Pague imposed his will early, breaking his doubles partner twice in the opening set then sustaining his charge in the next to fashion out the straight-set victory that came after the Zamboanga ace hacked out a pair of three-set wins to reach the finals of the Group A event presented by Dunlop.
Winner of last year’s Buglasan Open in Dumaguete, Pague racked up five straight games after Anasta held serve in the second frame to wrest firm control. The veteran Anasta looked headed for a big comeback after holding serve in the seventh and breaking Pague in the next but the latter dashed whatever hopes his rival might have had in the ninth game by breaking back while yielding just one point.
Pague thus pocketed the top P50,000 purse offered in the week-long championship backed by Rep. Michael John “Jack” Duavit and organized by Brookside Tennis Club president Allan del Castillo.
Fifth ranked Elvin Geluz and Marco Macalintal, meanwhile, repelled the No. 3 tandem of Noel Damian and Alberto Villamor, 6-4. 6-2, to claim the men’s doubles crown worth P40,000 in the event supported by (Ret.) Police Director-General Oscar Calderon, (Ret.) Police Lt. Gen. Luizo Ticman, Lexis Sterling Gold, Premium Articles, Biyaheng Pinas Travel & Tours, Jalal Food PH, Mangangalugad Book Travel Stay, Republica Restaurant and Liezel Tolibas.
On their way to the finals of the event held under the PPS-PEPP tennis program put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro, Geluz and Macalintal subdued Junel Canal and John Sonsona, 6-2, 6-4, while Damian and Villamor routed the top-seeded pair of Pague and Anasta, 6-3, 6-1.
Meanwhile, JD Benitez and Danilo Olosim captured the Legends men’s doubles 40-and-above trophy against Rey Ayson and Expedito Lim, Jr., while Renell Crescini and Aldrin Geluz snared the 50-and-above crown over Pedro Gonzales and Stephen Pilares.
Rollie Anasta bested Chat Conta for the Legends’ men’s singles 35-and-above trophy while Crescini turned back doubles partner Aldrin Geluz to clinch the men’s singles 45-and-above diadem.
Meanwhile, top seed Vince Serna and No. 2 Alfonso Infante brace for a fierce challenge against the likes of rising star Brice Baisa and Samuel Davila plus a host of others in the boys’ 18-and-under division while Kimi Brodeth looms as the marked player in the girls’ side in the Brookside National Juniors Championships which fire off May 11, also at the Brookside Hills courts. For details, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.