LOCAL tennis gets set for a bigger serving next week when the PPS-PEPP Olivarez Cup Open Tennis Championship returns after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, with the country’s leading players and rising stars seeing action at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat.
Multi-titled and many-time national team spearhead Jeson Patrombon, young Jed Olivarez, durable Johnny Arcilla along with Vicente Anasta, Josshua Kinaadman, Mark Alcoseba, Norman Enriquez and Noel Damian, Jr. make up the merry mix of aces all geared up for a spirited battle for top honors in the week-long championship.
The long layoff has made the title chase doubly exciting, the 32-player cast staying fit and in shape through regular training and workouts in the run-up to the staging of the event under the new normal following the lowering of COVID alert levels in the country, particularly in the NCR Plus.
Safety and health measures will still be strictly enforced during the conduct of the tournament put up by the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala in its continuing efforts to help develop the sport and discover talents who could be tapped and trained for future national teams.
Others vying for the top purse of P30,000 in men’s singles are NJ Enriquez, Leander Lazaro, John Altiche, Rolando Ruel, Jr., Gabriel Tiamson, Stefano Gurria, and wild cards Luis Asistio, Axi Gonzaga, Rey Pascua and Aslan Carbonilla.
Four others will join the cast from the qualifying phase on March 14-15, with the tournament proper starting on March 16.
Also on tap is the men’s doubles, including the Legends 30s, 40s and 50s divisions with Dunlop, Rep, Eric Olivarez and the Olivarez Sports Center backing the event.
