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« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2006, 12:10:00 PM » |
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The Philippine Star 11/27/2006
Asian Games-bound Johnny Arcilla banked on his solid forehand to capture the men’s singles title yesterday in the P400,000 Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open Tennis Championships at the PCA indoor shell-claycourt.
The top-seeded Arcilla survived a tight first set to beat second seed Rolando Ruel Jr., 7-5, 6-0, 6-4, to claim his second singles title in the 25-year-old history of the country’s longest-running tennis tournament.
"I’m happy for this title victory," said the 26-year-old Arcilla, who won in 2001. He was runner-up in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004 and lost in the semis last year.
"Winning this tournament is like sweet revenge for me. Ruel beat me twice this year and I wanted to get back at him," said Arcilla, who is now 4-2 against Ruel.
Ruel, who beat Arcilla in the Escudero Cup and Abalos Cup, charged to a 5-4 lead in the first set before Arcilla fought back to take the set, 7-5.
Arcilla won P89,000 in cash, including P9,000 from his share in the doubles purse after he and former RP teammate Joseph Victorino bagged the title over sixth seeds Dino Jimenez and Michael Mora III, 6-2, 6-3.
The ladies singles title went to Fil-American Denise Dy, who scored a 7-5, 6-4 victory over second seed Bambi Zoleta, a 14-year-old player from Lucena City.
After trailing 3-4 in the second due to errors, the California-based Dy regained her form and tied the count at 4-all. She came up with back-to-back winners to break Zoleta in the next game and held her serve in the 10th game to win the match in one hour, 35 minutes.
"I got a little nervous because she’s always getting the ball back," said the 17-year-old Dy, who led 5-3 in the first set before Zoleta won the next two games at 5-all. Dy rallied back and took the next two games to keep the set.
"There’s a lot of pressure for me in this tournament, a lot of people expect me to win. I’m glad I pulled everything through," said Dy, who received the P30,000 champion’s purse. She and four-time PCA champion Jennifer Saret beat Bambi and Bien Zoleta, 6-1, 6-1, in the ladies doubles finals last Saturday to share P8,000.
"I’d like to defend both titles next year. It’s been a wonderful experience for me playing in this tournament," said Dy, who saw action in last year’s Manila SEA Games and the Fed Cup held in South Korea last May.
Dy, who along with Czarina Arevalo will compete in next month’s Doha Asian Games, will be in her last year in the ITF Juniors Circuit next year and she plans to concentrate more on the women’s circuit.
"Next year will be a transition period for me. I’d still join junior tournaments but I have to focus more on the women circuit and try to get some points," said Dy, the only Filipino in the elite ITF junior team that toured Europe for four months early this year.
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