The DLSU Green and Lady Tennisters suffered heartbreaking defeats at the hands of the ADMU Blue Eagles and the NU Lady Bulldogs, respectively, earlier today, March 1, at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Tiebreak to heartbreak
The Green Tennisters kicked off their matchup against the ADMU Blue Eagles with three singles matches as Rupert Tortal, Yassan Al Anazi, and EJ Geluz took the floor. The first match saw Tortal opening up the set with a few good hits, only for the opponent to rally back and gain an early lead, 2-0. He then countered back to even the score, 2-all. The two went back and forth until the game halted as Tortal suffered from cramps. Blue Eagle JJ Llavore then claimed the first set with a 6-3 score. Despite Tortal’s efforts, the Green Tennister found himself overwhelmed by Llavore, with a 4-0 lead, and eventually crumbled to defeat in the second set, 6-1.
The second match began with Al Anazi trading neck-to-neck hits with his opponent in the first set but the opposing JD Veles soon dominated, taking a commanding lead in the set, 4-1. Al Anazi then pushed back, closing the gap at 4-3 until Veles secured the first set, 6-3. Al Anazi then battled for endurance with the Blue Eagle, ultimately faltering as Veles secured a dominating 4-0 lead. Trying to bounce back, Al Anazi then scored a point but Veles hit him down, securing the second set, 6-1.
Geluz was eager to even out the odds as he mounted a war of attrition with the first set beginning as both exchanged smashes, 1-all. Geluz, with cross-court hits and overwhelming smashes, gained a sizable lead, increasing his lead, before finishing off Steffano Gurria of Ateneo with a first set victory, 6-1. Geluz then carried over the momentum into the second set, gaining an early 2-0 lead off the bat. However, Gurria recuperated and tied the set, 3-all. Geluz put an end to comeback hopes as he swiped out Gurria’s momentum, securing a 7-5 victory.
Marcus Guindo and Leyton Portin kicked off the first doubles game with a quick 1-0 lead. Aiming to snowball their advantage, the Guindo-Portin duo extended the lead to 2-0. However, the Blue Eagles showed grit and slowly caught up, closing La Salle’s advantage, 5-3. Despite Ateneo’s push, the Green-and-White closed out the first set strong, 6-3. The second set began with the Blue Eagles grabbing an early 1-0 lead. Guindo and Portin quickly retaliated, leveling the score at 1-all. DLSU then went on a dominant 4-0 run, pushing the lead to 4-1. The Green-and-White sealed the second set with a commanding 6-1 win, marking DLSU’s first doubles victory of the day.
The final doubles match featured the Green Tennisters’ Jose Bernardo and Darwin Cosca. The Blue Eagles tandem Aidyll Ignacio and Gian Camingue started aggressively, aiming to dictate the pace of the match. The high-intensity battle saw the lead shift back and forth, with both teams trading points. Bernardo and Cosca fought hard, refusing to back down as the first set reached a tiebreaker, 4-all. However, Ignacio and Camingue broke the deadlock, claiming the first set.
Fueled by their momentum, the Blue Eagles started the second set with a swift 2-0 lead. Bernardo and Cosca fought to stay in contention, managing to score and cut the deficit, 2-1. Each point was fiercely contested, but Ateneo consistently found the edge. With both teams locked at 6-all, another tiebreaker ensued. Despite their resilience, the Green Tennisters were unable to force a third set, as the Blue Eagles secured their victory with a final score of 7-6.
Hunters hunted
Similarly, the Lady Tennisters continued the tournament with three single matches as well, with Mikaela Vicencio, Jazzelle Madis, and Precious Miranda hoping to add a victory against the NU bulldogs. The first match opened up as both teams came out of the gates—fiery hot—going back and forth. Vicencio kicked it up a notch and gained advantage with various hits, 3-1. Despite the Lady Bulldog’s attempt at a comeback, Vicencio countered yet again, creeping away with a victory in the first set, 6-3. The second set began with both sides trading shots, but neither side gained advantage, 2-all. Vicencio ended the deadlock, showing aggression to take a sizable lead and capping the set with a 6-3 victory.
The second match then began with Madis going at it with the Lady Bulldog in the first set, as both were evenly matched, 3-all. Madis eventually locked in and responded with force, aggressively going for two consecutive points, before ending the first set with a 6-4 victory. The second set had the same story with a tie midway through, 3-all. However, the Lady Bulldog gained the advantage and forced a third set with a 6-4 victory in the second set. While the hotly-contested match went on, Madis eventually cracked as the Lady Bulldog lit a spark and dominated with a 5-1 lead. Despite Madis’ best effort, the Lady Bulldog won the game with a 6-2 victory in the third set.
Miranda looked to regain advantage for the Lady Tennisters in the third singles match, however the Lady Bulldog grabbed a sizable lead early on, with Miranda wavering under NU’s relentless strikes, 4-0. The Lasallian eventually got swept by the Lady Bulldog, 6-0. Miranda then interchanged hits with her opponent, working hard for the first point in the set, 1-0. However, the Lady Bulldog went on 6-0 run to seal the second set and the match, 6-1.
La Salle’s Francine Idjao and Arianne Nilasca faced off against NU’s Rovie Belente and Aji Abadia. The Lady Tennisters pair aimed to build on their early 1-0 lead. Without giving the Lady Bulldogs room to retaliate, the Green-and-White duo dominated with a 4-0 run. However, the Lady Bulldogs responded and gained an unanswered momentum, tying the first set, 4-all. The Lady Tennisters struggled to regain their rhythm, allowing the Lady Bulldogs to complete the comeback and take the first set, 6-4. The second set proved to be heartbreaking for the Green-and-White as the Lady Bulldogs completely shut them down. Unable to adjust, the Lady Tennisters failed to score, suffering a 6-0 defeat.
The final match of the day featured twins Arthea Lu and Althea Lu from the DLSU side. The pair struggled throughout, as the Lady Bulldogs quickly secured the first set with a commanding 6-1 win. The second set followed a similar pattern, with the Lady Tennisters unable to find their stride. Overwhelmed by NU’s relentless attacks, the Lady Tennisters ultimately fell in two sets, 6-1.
Following these matches, the DLSU Green Tennisters remain winless, while the Lady Tennisters drop to a 1-2 record. Both teams will aim to bounce back tomorrow, March 2, at 7:30 am as the Green Tennisters take on the NU Bulldogs and the Lady Tennisters face the UP Fighting Maroons at the same venue.
