By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Second seed National University downed No. 3 University of the Philippines, 3-1, Sunday to reach the finals of the UAAP Season 87 men’s tennis at Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in Malate, Manila.
NU will face three-peat seeking University of Santo Tomas in the best-of-three title series starting 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
The women’s finals pitting the same schools but with NU as defending champion begins at 7 a.m.
UST secured the first men’s finals berth after dispatching University of the East, 4-1, on Saturday.
“We’re really happy that we made it to the finals. In the Final Four, we had the twice-to-beat advantage, but we lost yesterday (Saturday). So we told the players, ‘just play your game,’ because there’s no more tomorrow. It’s do-or-die. We really had to push through,” NU coach Ronard Joven said in a news release.
UP forced the decider after stunning NU, 3-2, in semis opener.
In the preliminaries, NU downed UST, 3-2, in the first round, while UST prevailed, 4-1, in the second round.
NU’s Andrei Padao waylaid Aslan Carbonilla 6-0, 6-0, in the opening singles, but UP’s Loucas Fernandez tied the score after pulling off a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Jules Lazaro.
Angil Balaoing and Christian Padilla turned back Raymond Goco and Lance Fernandez, 6(5)-7, 6-4, 10-5, to put the Bulldogs ahead, 2-1.
Team captain EJ Tugade sealed the win for NU with a 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 win over Miguel Iglupas in the third singles.
“UP is no joke. They’re also complete. So right now, we just got lucky in this match that we won,” Joven said. (PNA)
