San jose del monte: The University of the Philippines (UP) delivered a stunning performance against the defending champion National University (NU), securing a 3-2 victory on Wednesday. This win allows UP to maintain its lead in the UAAP Season 88 men's tennis tournament, held at the Colegio San Agustin in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
According to Philippines News Agency, UP's Andrei Jarata and Carl Tan clinched a crucial win in the second doubles match by defeating Miguel Vicencio and Jules Lazaro with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This victory was vital for the Fighting Maroons, who now boast a record of nine wins against one loss. UP's Lance Fernandez also contributed to the success by overcoming Alexis Acabo 6-3, 6-2. However, NU's Andrei Padao and Isaac Lim managed to secure victories over Loucas Fernandez and Heinz Carbonilla, respectively, giving NU an initial 2-1 lead.
In a decisive first doubles match, Raymund Goco and Miguel Iglupas of UP outplayed Angil Balaoing and Christian Padilla, winning 7-5, 6-3 to equalize the score at 2-all. With this outcome, NU has slipped to third place with a 7-3 record, tying with the University of the East, which achieved a dominant 5-0 victory against Ateneo de Manila University.
The University of the East (UE) also had a successful day, with Allyson Cabanilla leading the charge by defeating Vito Singson 6-1, 6-1. Other UE players, including JB Aguilar, Kian Sanchez, Mark Dave Palanas, and Kent Morales, all recorded wins, completing a comprehensive sweep over Ateneo.
Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) triumphed over Adamson University with a 4-1 victory, improving its record to 9-2, securing second place. UST's Richard Bautista and Nash Agustines achieved a win over Angelo Rosales and Lander Butcon, while Ericjay Tangub and Evan Bacalso also provided points for UST. Adamson's Miecoz Candelasa managed a hard-fought win against Mcleen Gomera, but UST's Steven Sonsona and Al Zayeed Baid secured the overall victory.
With these results, Adamson now holds a 2-9 record, while Ateneo remains winless after 11 matches.