SEBASTIAN Santos and University of Santo Tomas dethroned erstwhile champion National University in a 3-0 sweep and secured a return to the UAAP Men’s Tennis Finals on Sunday at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in Malate, Manila.
The Tennisters, who last made the championship round in Season 79, will face top seeds Ateneo de Manila University in a best-of-three series starting on Wednesday at the same Malate complex.
“We had many adjustments, especially in the lineup today. But the players really wanted it. They knew it wouldn’t be easy, so I’m happy with the way my players played today,” UST coach Alexander Diego said as the Tennisters are looking to end a 10-year title drought and give the school its 15th men’s title overall.
Santos faced Aljon Talatayod for the first time since the second round of the eliminations, which Talatayod won in three sets, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Talatayod took the first set dominantly at 6-3, but Santos evened it out with a more clinical 6-1 finish. Down a break at 1-3 in the decider, the Palawan-born Thomasian refused to lose and leveled the set at four games.
From there, Santos powered his way to the next two games to end the almost two-hour tussle at 6-4.
Nilo Ledama continued his fine showing this season and drew first blood for UST with a solid 6-0, 6-1 finish of Jules Lazaro.
It was the surprise pairing of Steven Sonsona and Symon Jaculan that proved to be the difference for the Tennisters as they stunned NU’s Ibarra Ortega and Gab Bandoquillo, 6-1, 6-3.
“First time kong nagpalit sa doubles since first round. Maganda naman nilaro nila at nag-deliver sila,” Diego added.
The Bulldogs picked up the twice-to-beat advantage against the Tennisters last Wednesday after taking a 3-2 decision.
UST then disarmed NU with a 3-1 win yesterday that saw Santos defeat Lazaro, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6, to give the Tennisters a new lease on life.
