ERIC Jed Olivarez reinforced his status as the rising star of Philippine tennis by defeating John Benedict Aguilar in commanding fashion, 6-4, 6-1, to capture the Rep. Edwin National Open Championship at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque, last Wednesday.
The top-seeded Olivarez’s straight-set victory, punctuated by a dominant second set, highlighted the vast potential of the 26-year-old Western Michigan University graduate, who has his sights set on winning every tournament he competes in. He was in top form throughout the event, dispatching three opponents with relative ease before overcoming a tough challenge from Loucas Fernandez in the semifinals, where he secured a 6-0, 7-6(0) win.
Meanwhile, Aguilar, 18, made waves in the lower half of the 64-player draw, producing scintillating performances, including a stunning upset of second seed and Olivarez’s doubles partner Vicente Anasta, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. But in the championship match, Olivarez’s focus and experience shone through.
Olivarez broke Aguilar early in the third game of the opening set, then maintained his composure in a series of hold games before securing the crucial break in the 10th to take the set, 6-4.
The second frame, however, was a different story, as Olivarez broke Aguilar in the third game and never looked back, winning four consecutive games to close out the match. Aguilar showed some resistance in the fifth game, forcing a deuce, but Olivarez’s court savvy proved too much for the younger player.
The victory thus added to Olivarez’s growing list of accomplishments, coming on the heels of his triumph at the Mayor Eric Olivarez National Open last August, where he snapped multi-titled Johnny Arcilla’s domination.
The win also closed their head-to-head record at 2-4 after Arcilla previously defeated Olivarez in a thrilling finals showdown during the Series I event in June.
Capping off an impressive week, Olivarez teamed up with Anasta to defeat the top-ranked pair of Rolly Saga and Bryan Saarenas, 6-1, 7-6(10), in the men’s doubles finals of the Group A tournament sponsored by Dunlop and sanctioned by Philta with support from Palawan Pawnshop, Universal Tennis Rankings and Icon Golf & Sports.
Despite the loss, Aguilar’s breakout performance has established him as a future contender on the local tennis circuit with the Camalig, Albay find poised to continue creating an impact and solidify his place on the national stage.
