UNRANKED John Bryan Otico pulled off one of the most stirring triumphs in PPS-PEPP Open Championships, toppling the top two seeds, including No. 2 Jose Maria Pague, 6-4, 6-3, in the finals to clinch the men’s singles crown in the Malita Open in Davao Occidental yesterday.
The 24-year-old Otico earlier ended Johnny Arcilla’s string of Open title romps, outdueling and outlasting the top-ranked veteran Davis Cupper in long rallies on his way to a 6-2, 6-4 reversal in the semis. He then shattered Pague with a key break in the ninth game of the fiercely-fought first set of the finals then sustained his assault with two breaks in the next frame for a 5-1 count at the Malita Tennis Club.
Pague did hold serve in the seventh then broke Otico in the next but the Maramag, Bukidnon find, playing out of Loyola Marymount U in Los Angeles, broke back in the ninth to wrap up the victory worth P80,000.
No. 5 Alexei Santos of UST capped the day of the lesser lights as she produced her own stunner in women’s singles, beating top seed Tennielle Madis, 6-3, 6-2, to pocket the top prize of P30,000 in the 10-day event also held as part of the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Otico, a finalist in the recent Manila Open, worked his way into contention with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Eric Tangub following a walkover win in the opening round of the event hosted by Mayor Bradly Bautista.
He booted out No. 5 Eric Jed Olivarez, 6-2, 6-4, then held off fourth seed Vicente Anasta, 7-5, 6-4, to earn a crack at Arcilla, who dropped just five games in three matches to reach the semis of the P664,000 tournament held in conjunction with the city’s Paugnat Festival celebrations.
After crushing Dale Estonillo, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round in the lower half of the 64-player draw, Pague, the Buglasan Open winner last year, struggled past Noel Salupado, 7-6(4), 6-3, and survived Ronard Joven, 6-7(6), 6-0, 2-1(ret.) before clipping No. 3 Charles Kinaadman, 6-4, 6-1, in the semis.
Otico later teamed up with Danna Abad to repel Tangub and Nicole dela Rita, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7, for the mixed doubles title.
Santos earlier upended No. 2 and doubles partner dela Rita, 6-1, 6-1, to seal a title showdown with Madis, who turned back Elizabeth Abarquez, 7-5, 6-0.
In other results, Arcilla and Joven clobbered Rucel Cero and Tangub, 6-1, 6-1, to claim the men’s Open doubles crown, while Abarquez and Rovie Baulete thwarted the top-seeded Santos-Dela Rita pair, 6-1, 5-7, 10-7, to snatch the women’s tiara.
Chat Conta took the men’s singles 35 title while Russel Judabal topped the 45-age group in the Legends division. Others winners were Michael Mesa and Gabriel Perez (doubles 30s), Rolito Litang and Edgar Quiñones (doubles 40s) and Boboy Diamante and John Philip Ysulat (doubles 50s), while the Vince Serna-Brice Baisa tandem and the Juliana Carvajal-Sheloh Ripdos pair shared the juniors doubles honors.
Meanwhile, action shifts to Tubod for the 64th Araw ng Lanao del Norte National Open on June 20-30 to be followed by the 64th Lanao del Sur National Open on July 1-7 at MSU in Marawi City. For details and listup, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.