ARCH rivals Ateneo and La Salle brace for a grueling battle of power and stamina as they play two matches each Tuesday in the men’s competition of the National College Tennis Team Championships at the Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) outdoor courts in Paco, Manila.
The Blue Eagles face the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigers at 8 a.m. then return in the afternoon to slug it out with the National University (NU) Bulldogs at 1 p.m. in Group A play.
The Green Archers, on the other hand, tangle with the University of the East Red Warriors at 8 a.m. and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at 1 p.m. in Group B.
UST and NU clash Wednesday at 1 p.m., while UE and UP face off also at 1 p.m. both on Wednesday.
The top two teams will advance to the crossover semifinals with the winners disputing the crown.
Hostilities in the women’s side kicked off Monday with De La Salle facing Ateneo and UP taking on NU in morning play. UP battled De La Salle while NU faced Ateneo in afternoon matches.
UP will take on Ateneo Wednesday while De La Salle and NU square off with the top two teams advancing to the winner-take-all finals of the week-long event serving as part of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis program led by president and CEO Bobby Castro.
Fierce action is also seen in the individual champion with the leading players and rising stars in the ranks making up the big cast, including regular campaigners in the PPS-PEPP circuit, among them UST’s Nilo Ledama, Eric Jay Tangub, Jose Maria Pague and John Steven Sonsona, NU’s Jude Ceniza, Vince Tugade and Aljon Talatayod, and Ateneo’s Gabriel Tiamson, Nio Tria, Diego Dayrit and Eric Jed Olivarez Jr.
UE is headed by Jarell Edangga, UP is bannered by Loucas Fernandez, while Mark Crisosto anchors La Salle’s bid in the week-long tournament backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Tennis Rating.
The women’s cast is led by Anna de Myer, Achaia Cabahug, Kristine Martin and Lucy Inalves of UP, Danna Abad, Alyssa Bornia, Jan Anghag and Ericka Yap of NU; Mikaela Vicencio, Aubrey Calma, Arianne Nillasca and Jazelle Madis of La Salle; and Melanie Dizon, Tracy Llamas and Althea Ong of Ateneo.
Action shifts to San Pablo City, Laguna for the Escudero Cup Men’s Open and Juniors Championships from February 20 to 24 (open) and February 23 to 28 (juniors) at the Aera Tennis Club courts. For details, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.