With roughly four months to go before UAAP lawn tennis games, the DLSU Green and Lady Tennisters reinforced their preparations at the Olivarez-PHILTA Open Championships Intercollegiate Level at Sucat, Parañaque last Aug. 1-21.
The Lady Tennisters took home the pre-season crown as they whitewashed a talented UST squad, 3-0, while the Green Tennisters yielded against the NU tennis team, 0-3, in the other finals match-ups. Both Green-and-White teams arranged their respective title-matches by drubbing sister school College of Saint Benilde in the semis, 3-0.
According to Lady Tennisters co-captain Jonicka Martina Guba, three important tournaments still await the team such as the University Games, Milo Inter-college and the biggest, the Philippine Columbian Association Open, all of which the Lady Tennisters are the defending champions.
The Green Tennisters, on the other end, showed a decent finish in those tournaments last year, ranking fourth in the Unigames and 3rd both in the Milo Intercol and PCA.
The Green-and-White squads also acquired three prized rookies like Aira Putiz from Cotabato, an addition to the women’s roster, while Akio Sy and Kyle Cordero join the men’s roster.
Guba foresees a back-to-back-to-back UAAP championship regardless of a short line-up with only seven players, which is the team minimum to enter a league. She also confidently predicts a championship for the Green Tennisters that will end their runner-up streak for the past two seasons. Green Tennisters team captain Mike Basco notes that the team has always had the hunger to deliver the goods for DLSU.
The biggest threat in the competition remains to be UST because of their solid line-up. Not to be underestimated, though, is retooled NU, with the entry of blue chip rookies in their roster.
Despite the pre-season success and time left before UAAP tennis proper, “Both teams could use more practice,” Martina stresses.
