After experiencing an unfavorable first round of the tennis tournament, the DLSU Green and Lady Tennisters were still unable to persevere in their Round Two games against the UE Red Warriors, 4-1, and the UP Fighting Maroons, 3-2, respectively, last March 3. The Green Tennisters were also unable to bounce back in their March 6 outing and were defeated by the UP Fighting Maroons, 4-1.
A familiar rut
The DLSU Green Tennisters fell short, 4-1, in their first game for Round Two last Sunday, March 3, against third-seeded UE Red Warriors. The singles division consisted of Enzo Enriquez and Ohye Tortal, who could not get good results; Both matches ended in straight sets. Despite Team Captain EJ Geluz’s persistence, it was not enough to overpower UE’s Jarrel Edangga, who eventually conceded to the Red Warrior in three sets.
The doubles matchup saw the familiar pair of Brysl Libao and RJ Virrey, who masterfully led DLSU’s only win against UE. After taking the first set, 6-4, the tandem also won the second set by default when the Red Warriors duo had to retreat after feeling light-headed. To close the match, the La Salle duo of Manuel Banzon and Lance Hitosis failed to take over the UE pair Marc Suson and Dawson Ormoc, 6-0 and 6-2, respectively.
For the women’s division, the DLSU Lady Tennisters faced the UP Fighting Maroons with Annika Diwa starting the singles match against Rachel Velez; The first period was in favor of UP, 6-3, while the second set saw a more confident Diwa, 7-5, who forced a decider with the La Salle rookie ultimately winning in three sets, 6-4. Unfortunately, for DLSU’s Bea Gomez, UP’s Jufe Cocoy was difficult to overwhelm, as both sets ended in favor of the Diliman-based team, 6-1.
With two wins under their belt, the La Salle team only needed one more against UP to secure a victory; this made both La Salle tandem’s field in the doubles division unable to overpower the UP squad. Despite Jed Aquino and Jam Madis’ best efforts, the Lady Tennisters conceded to the UP duo Joshea Malazarte and Jesha Cervante in straight sets, 6-4 and 7-5. The final pair of Arianne Nillasca and Amor Idjao also saw a familiar outing, losing in straight sets, 6-3.
Clenching onto their rackets
The team, reeling from recent defeats, approached their match against the UP Fighting Maroons last March 6 with a mix of hope and determination. In the first singles game, Tortal faced off against Loucas Fernandez, but despite his efforts, Tortal suffered a significant loss in both sets, 0-6, 1-6, displaying a frustrating run. Following this disappointing start, Dan Mates took the court for the second singles match against Zire Mina. Despite his perseverance, Mates struggled to secure points, ultimately succumbing in both sets, further highlighting the team’s inability to capitalize on opportunities and turn the tide in their favor.
Despite their fighting spirit, the team faced another defeat, 3-6, 4-6, as Geluz couldn’t overcome Andrei Jarata’s dominance, ultimately resulting in a clean sweep for the Fighting Maroons. This series of losses underscored the team’s need for strategic improvement and perhaps reevaluation of their training regimen to compete more effectively at this level.
Two is better than one
The DLSU Green Tennisters hoped to bring a win to their name during the doubles matches. Leyton Portin and Virey stepped on the court. The duo were set to play against Maroons Karl Miguel and Jonas Silva. The Green-and-White fell short in the first set, 3-6; however, they bounced back in the second set, dominating at 6-2. The two denied a two-set sweep and extended the game to a third set. Sadly, despite their perseverance, the scoreboards turned and brought the crown back to the Fighting Maroons, 2-6.
Libao and Nonoy Po entered the court for the final doubles match. Hakim Baloto and Rafael Liangco stood from the other side, representing the Maroons. The Team from Taft aimed to bring at least a victory home after today’s games, putting their heart into the match. They swung their rackets high and emerged victorious after the first set, 6-4. With high hopes and momentum to keep, they ultimately dominated the court with a two-set sweep, overtaking the UP Fighting Maroons, 6-2.
With the second round opening new opportunities for the team, the Lady Tennisters remained hopeful for their upcoming matchups. As Vicencio recounts their Round One campaign, she described it as “Ang ganda ng performance namin, sadyang marami lang sayang, parang kinapos lang kami”.
(Our performance was nice, some games were a close call, but we just fell short.)
The team captain firmly clarified that the Lady Tennisters’ mentality is focused on renewing their strength for the second round. They alluded that their eyes are still set on finishing strong, and with the right mindset, the team can bounce back stronger with revitalized energy. When asked about their mindset heading into the season’s remaining games, she said that “Right now, bounce back lang talaga kami, gusto pa naming manalo.”
(Right now, we’re focused on bouncing back, we still want to win.)
