Retooled Bulldogs stun Tigers in UAAP tennis opener

National University's massive rebuilding program showed its early results Saturday at the start of the 74th UAAP men’s tennis tournament as the Bulldogs stunned defending champion University of Santo Tomas Tigers, 3-2, at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. UST opened its title retention bid with a victory after reigning men's MVP Ralph Barte defeated Al Khady Jainul, 6-0, 6-0. NU, however, leveled the duel in the first doubles when Al Michael Madrid and Dheo Talatayod downed Gerald Pinili and Ryan Montalbo, 6-3, 6-2. Bernan Lou Bering booked a 6-3, 5-1 (retired) victory over Wilson Oblea in the second singles to give UST a 2-1 lead, but the Bulldogs were unrelenting and behind Fritz Verdad's 6-1, 7-5 win over Arn Procianos, 6-1, 7-5, in the other singles match, set up the decisive doubles encounter. The clincher for the Bulldogs came in the deciding doubles with Leander Lazaro and Tim Polero beating Jake Basilad and Bernardine Bering, 6-1, 7-5. Interestingly, Karl Santamaria earned his first victory coaching a new team, the Bulldogs, against the very same squad he mentored for 10 years and steered to six men’s titles. He moved to the NU camp only this season. In the other men's match, University of the Philippines (UP) routed Ateneo, 4-1. The Fighting Maroons leaned on the victories of Franklin Encarnacion, Joshua Miranda and Angelo Esguerra in singles and the triumph of Leandro Fernandez and Miguel Belda in doubles. The Blue Eagles avoided the shutout on Gio Bilog and Johan Exconde in the opening doubles match. — JVP, GMA News