UAAP: Green, Lady Tennisters end opening weekend with mixed results

The DLSU Green Tennisters and Lady Tennisters opened the first round of their UAAP Season 78 campaign last weekend with two games each at the Rizal Memorial Lawn Tennis Courts.

On Saturday, the Lady Tennisters swept the UP Lady Maroons, defeating them in all five of their matches. Marinel Rudas set the tone for the Lady Tennisters after besting Nicole Eugenio in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, in the first singles match of the day. La Salle never looked back as they only dropped three sets in their other four matches, all of which they won.

The Green Tennisters looked to capitalize on the momentum their women counterparts had built earlier in the day. At the onset, it looked good for the men as team captain Kyle Parpan and LA Canizares each won their respective matches to give La Salle an early 2-0 match lead. In the crucial first set of the match between DLSU’s Cano and Orendain versus UST’s Patino and Cabahug, the latter were able to win a tiebreaker that allowed them to take the set, 7-6. The Growling Tigers never looked back as they won that and the next match, setting up a rubber match between UST’s Joel Cabusas and DLSU’s Qoqo Allian. In the end, Cabusas won the deciding match to give the Growling Tigers the victory.

On Sunday, the Lady Tennisters weren’t able to carry their momentum from Saturday, losing three of their five matches to UST. The only victories for DLSU came from Rudas, who defeated Erica Manduriao, 6-2, 6-0, and the duo of Nikkirey Arandia and Anne Castillo, who won their match against their UST counterparts, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

It wasn’t any better for the Green Tennisters, however, as they lost to NU, 4-1. Their solitary victory came from duo Allian and Mayo, who beat their opponents, 6-4, 7-6 (2). La Salle struggled in the remaining matches as the defending champions were too much to handle.

Both teams will return to action next Saturday as the Green Tennisters will face the UE Red Warriors at 11 am while the Lady Tennisters will battle the Ateneo Lady Eagles at 8 am, with all their matches set to be played at the Rizal Memorial Lawn Tennis Courts.

Results:

January 30

Green Tennisters (versus UST)

Parpan d. Mosqueda (6-2, 6-3)

Canizares d. Lanzado (6-3, 6-3)

Cabusas d. Allian (6-4, 6-2)

Patino/Cabahug d. Cano/Orendain (7-6, 6-3 (5))

Bering/Lopez d. Assistio/Gorospe (6-2, 6-2)

Lady Tennisters (versus UP)

Rudas d. Eugenio (6-2, 6-2)

Atangan d. Valdez (2-6, 6-4, 6-4)

Hitosis d. Cortez (5-7, 6-3, 6-0)

Dizon/Aquino d. Uy/Velicaria (6-4, 5-7, 6-2)

Arandia/Castillo d. Banez/Jimenez (6-4, 6-0)

January 31

Green Tennisters (versus NU)

Lazaro d. Orendain (6-2, 6-4)

Verdad d. Canizares (6-0, 6-1)

Talatayod d. Parpan (6-3, 7-5)

Madrio/Pena d. Asistio/Cano (7-5, 6-1)

Mayo/Allian d. Accion/Alcantara (6-4, 7-6 (2))

Lady Tennisters (versus UST)

Malinis d. Atangan (6-3, 6-1)

Rivera d. Hitosis (6-7, 6-1, 6-2 (3))

Rudas d. Manduriao (6-2, 6-0)

Arandia/Castillo d. M. Gonzales/Caorte (3-6, 6-1, 6-2)

Gonzales/Gitalan d. Aquino/Dizon (6-3, 6-3)

* DLSU players in bold