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PCA tennis: Veteran Arcilla ends upstart Mendoza's giant-killing ways


Top seed Johnny Arcilla used his veteran smarts to the hilt in posting a masterful 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 win over newcomer Jurence Mendoza in the men's singles finals of the 30th Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open Tennis Championship at the PCA indoor shell clay court in Paco, Manila. Arcilla dominated the unheralded Mendoza, who became the tournament's giant slayer after dispatching his seeded opponents en route to the finals, right from the opening serve. "Inunahan ko agad siya para hindi na tumagal pa yung laban. Mahirap kalaban ang bata dahil mataas ang endurance niya," said Arcilla. "Medyo sumakit lang yung kaliwa kong hita nung third set pero tiniis ko lang dahil ayoko nang tumagal pa yung laban." The 31-year-old Arcilla ruled the tournament for the sixth time and took home the P100,000 top prize. He also toped the tournament in the 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions. Mendoza, on the other hand, settled for the P50,000 runner-up purse. In the women's singles, Marian Jade Capadocia overcame a terrible start and engineered a strong comeback in the second set to snatch the title away from top-ranked Clarice Patrimonio, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3. The 16-year-old Capadocia, after dropping the first set, displayed her resilient form in the second and deciding frames behind a dizzying flurry of baseline winners that stunned her 18-year-old opponent in the 130-minute long match. "Kulang ako sa warm up kaya kinapa ko muna yung strategy niya. Pinatakbo ko lang siya ng pinatakbo sa second set dahil alam kong madali siyang mapagod saka impatient din siya sa mga long rallies," said Capadocia, who is fresh from a bronze-medal finish in the women's team event of the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia along with Patrimonio and Denise Dy. "Relax lang ako maglaro, hindi ako sumisigaw dahil baka maubusan ako ng hangin," added Capadocia, a graduating student of Arellano High School. Capadocia bagged the P50,000 top purse, while Patrimonio settled for P25,000. Patrimonio vented her ire in the women's doubles as she and partner Tamitha Olivarez-Nguyen downed the tandem of Louise Lopez and Aileen Rogan, 6-1, 6-1. Arcilla added the men's doubles crown teaming up with Patrick John Tierrro to beat Anasta and Ronard Joven, 6-4, 6-2. — JVP, GMA News

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