By: Justine Anne Gaerlan
A decade after their last championship clash, University of Santo Tomas and National University are set to rekindle their rivalry in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Tennis Finals.
Tie 1 of the men’s tournament, supported by Wilson Philippines, kicks off at 2:00 PM on Wednesday at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in Malate, Manila.
Meanwhile, the women’s division will also witness a finals rematch between the Lady Bulldogs and the Female Tennisters, marking their second straight title duel.
Tie 1 begins earlier, at 7:00 AM, at the same venue.
The Male Tennisters, reigning champions from Seasons 85 and 86, are aiming for their 17th UAAP men’s tennis title. They enter the finals with strong momentum, having swept the second round of eliminations and securing a convincing 4-1 victory over the UE Red Warriors in the Final Four.
Leading the way for UST is Season 86 MVP and team captain Nilo Ledama, who remains undefeated this season.
Despite the high stakes, UST head coach Alexander Diego expressed confidence in his veteran-laden squad, which includes Steven Sonsona, Symon Jaculan, Ericjay Tangub, and Sebastian Santos — all of whom are competing in their third straight finals appearance.
“Sanay na kami sa pressure. Every time we compete in the UAAP, from the start, there’s always pressure. Also, the players, I think they know how to handle kasi ‘yung experience nila for the last two seasons, sila pa rin ‘yung players na maglalaro. So I think we have the advantage of that kasi they know already how to handle the pressure,” said Diego.
On the other side, National University, seeking its sixth men’s title, clinched second place in the elimination round with a 10-2 record. The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the finals with a gritty 3-1 win over the UP Fighting Maroons in a do-or-die Final Four match.
NU will rely heavily on rookie sensation Andrei Padao, their top singles player, who has also maintained a spotless record this season.
Despite facing a formidable opponent in the back-to-back champions, NU head coach Ronard Joven is optimistic about his squad’s chances.
“Sa amin, hindi namin masabi ‘yung laro kasi for sure, back-to-back champion ‘yung UST. Kami, kumbaga, nothing to lose kami diyan pero lalaban kami,” said Joven.
“Kailangan talaga focus then preparation up to Wednesday para sa finals.”
The men’s teams split their elimination round matchups, with NU handing UST its only loss in a 3-2 first-round win. UST answered back with a dominant 4-1 victory in the second round.
In the women’s division, NU is aiming for a fourth straight championship and eighth overall. The Lady Bulldogs completed the elimination round with a 7-1 record and will count on the senior trio of Danna Abad, JM Carcueva, and Elsie Abarquez — each making their third consecutive finals appearance.
“Back to training na naman po to prepare for the finals at saka with teamwork po talaga,” said co-captain Carcueva. “Mas dodoble kami ng kayod sa training at saka magfo-focus kami doon sa mga kulang namin na skills.”
UST, which also finished with a 7-1 record, is determined to reclaim a title it last won in Season 80 and match NU’s eight overall championships.
The Female Tennisters will be led by last season’s Rookie of the Year Kaye Emana, who went undefeated in eliminations, as well as seniors Debbie Gom-os, Minette Bentillo, and Justine Maneja.
“For the second time, NU pa rin [ang kalaban]. Parang ang nangyayari is hindi dapat i-underestimate ang defending champions, so parang feeling namin it all boils down to kung sino ang gustong manalo,” said UST head coach Dennis Sta. Cruz.
Just like in the men’s division, the women’s teams handed each other their only losses in the elimination round. NU edged UST 3-2 in the first round, but the Female Tennisters returned the favor with a 3-2 win in the second.
