Jed Olivarez reinforced his status as a rising star in Philippine tennis by defeating John Benedict Aguilar in commanding fashion, 6-4, 6-1, to capture the Rep. Edwin National Open Championship at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque, last Wednesday.
The top-seeded Olivarez’s straight-set victory, highlighted by a dominant second set, showcased the vast potential of the 26-year-old Western Michigan University graduate, who aims to win every tournament he enters.
He displayed excellent form throughout the event, easily dispatching three opponents before overcoming a tough challenge from Loucas Fernandez in the semifinals, securing a 6-0, 7-6(0) win.
Meanwhile, Aguilar, 18, made waves in the lower half of the 64-player draw, delivering impressive performances, including a stunning upset of second seed and Olivarez’s doubles partner, Vicente Anasta, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
However, in the championship match, Olivarez’s focus and experience proved decisive.
Olivarez broke Aguilar early in the third game of the opening set and maintained his composure through a series of service holds before securing a crucial break in the 10th game to take the set, 6-4.
The second set, however, told a different story. Olivarez broke Aguilar in the third game and never looked back, winning four consecutive games to close out the match.
Although Aguilar showed some resistance in the fifth game, forcing a deuce, Olivarez’s court savvy ultimately proved too much for the younger player.
This victory added to Olivarez’s growing list of accomplishments, coming on the heels of his triumph at the Mayor Eric Olivarez National Open last August, where he ended multi-titled Johnny Arcilla’s dominance.
The win also adjusted their head-to-head record to 2-4, after Arcilla had previously defeated Olivarez in a thrilling finals showdown during the Series I event in June.
Capping off an impressive week, Olivarez teamed up with Anasta to defeat the top-ranked pair of Rolly Saga and Bryan Saarenas, 6-1, 7-6(10), in the men’s doubles finals of the Group A tournament, sponsored by Dunlop and sanctioned by Philta with support from Palawan Pawnshop, Universal Tennis Rankings, and Icon Golf & Sports.
Despite the loss, Aguilar’s breakout performance has established him as a future contender on the local tennis circuit, with the Camalig, Albay native poised to make a significant impact and solidify his place on the national stage.
