By Cesar Q. Quilenderino
JEDDAH — Team Black’s Fred Masangkay and Boy Isuga jumpstarted the 2nd round of Category B2+ match with wide margin, 8-1, against Team White’s Norwin Catipay and Celso Abella recently in the “Beat the Heat” Tennis Tournament being organized by Samahang Pinoy Tennis Club at the King Abdulaziz University sports complex here.
In the second set, Mike Amerol and Rolly Saldana of Team White kept their Category B2 doubles hopes alive as they faught back from 0-3 to 4-3 against Team Black’s Oca Lovitos and Cizzner Carascal to finish the set at 8-5.
The 3rd set saw Team Black’s Pol Fernandez and Bernie Soguilon block the advance of their opponents, Cesar Quilenderino and Gary Bautro, who came close of completing another comeback fight in their Category B2 match after Team White’s pair rose from 0-3 deficit to 6-7. Team Black’s Pol and Bernie held serve to finish the 14th game at 8-6, and retained its lead at 21-15 set points overall.
Team White’s Leo Maranion and Mark Anthony Banaag equalized their team’s 6-8 loss in the previous set by imposing the same score in their 4th match against Team Black’s Roy Timtiman and Julius Garcia. This win helped their team cut Team Black’s overall lead to 27-23.
Marlon Pagsanjan and Mario Betorio, carried Team White ahead to lead for the first time in the 2nd round of the tournament against Team Black with a convincing display of stonewalling by the former and searing under-spin shots by the latter in another Category B2 clash. The White’s pair overwhelmed Black’s top B2 doubles pair 8-2 to close out the 5th set at 31-29.
In the 6th set, JM Bravo and Haji Pilongo carried on the Team White’s momentum, notching up 5 consecutive games before losing the 6th and 7th games against Team Black’s Mashur Jamiri and Allan Mabini that gave it another 8-2 win to put Team White ahead 39-32.
Eman “Mencool” Usman and Sherwin Nervais of Team White, playing in Category C in the 7th set, pinned Team Black against the wall by chalking up commanding 2-0, 6-2, 7-4 leads before taking the match 8-4 for an overall Team White’s lead of 47-34.
Team White’s Nasser “the Chef” Cayquep and Zaldy Gabriel found the going tough against Yusuff Adriatico and Nilo Gamba of Team Black but managed an overall second round score of 53-43, with Team White comfortably on top.
The “Beat the Heat” Tennis Tournament is being organized by the club officers of SPTC led by chairman Ariel Domingo. Team White is managed by Marlon Pagsanjan, while Team Black is captained by Waymor Carmelotes.
