Ateneo de Manila University captured its sixth win to rise to solo second in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Tennis tournament with a rousing 5-0 sweep of Adamson University on Sunday at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in Manila.
The Blue Eagles moved to 6-1 in second place, just behind the unblemished 6-0 record of idle, league-leading UST, and gave the tournament hosts its seventh consecutive defeat.
Leading top rookie candidate JD Velez secured the win for Ateneo after taking care of Ramon Bentillo, 6-4, 4-1 (ret.) in the second singles match.
He consolidated the 2-0 advantage the squad incurred after the first two matches also went the Blue and White’s way.
Axl Gonzaga bagged his second straight win playing singles with a solid 6-2, 6-4 take of Miecos Candelasa.
Then JJ Llavore and Stef Gurria outlasted Reymoses Amba and Tristan Correos, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first doubles rubber.
Noy Seno and Austin Delos Santos sent the Season 85 silver medalists to 4-0 with a 7-5, 6-3 victory past Nikko Lumahang and Lawrence Sombreo.
Nio Tria then completed the rout on a 6-0, 6-1 clinical finish over Jerald Delos Santos.
University of the East and National University kept in step with Ateneo in the race to the Final Four with similar 4-1 wins over University of the Philippines and De La Salle University, respectively.
Marc Suson – playing doubles this time with Dawson Ormoc – provided the finishing touches on the Red Warriors’ second straight win and fifth overall.
He took a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over Green Tennisters Manuel Banzon and Lance Hitosis in the second doubles match.
On the other hand, Ibarra Ortega made a similar switch to doubles play, conniving with Angel Balaoing in a 6-2, 7-5 decision with Karl Miguel and Jonas Silva to reel the Bulldogs to a bounce-back, fourth win in the season.
The UP Fighting Maroons stayed in fifth place but slipped to a 2-5 slate, just ahead of the De La Salle Green Tennisters’ 1-6 card.
On the women’s side, UST and UP stayed near idle undefeated NU following respective contrasting wins over Ateneo and De La Salle.
Princess Gom-os and Miles Vitaliano handed over the double bagel, 6-0, 6-0 to Althea Ong and Chelsea Roque in the second doubles match to send the Female Tennisters to a 4-1 win-loss slate, which is good for second place.
The Fighting Maroons, on the other hand, saw rookie Jufe Cocoy with a bounce-back 6-1 6-1 win over Bea Gomez in the third singles rubber for the side’s third win against two setbacks, which put them in third.
The De La Salle Lady Green Tennisters remained in fourth with a 1-4 record, while the Ateneo Blue Eagles are still searching for a breakthrough victory after five ties.
