JOHNNY ARCILLA (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Eight-time Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) tennis champion Johnny Arcilla kept his grandslam hopes alive after he pulled off a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Leander Lazaro in the quarterfinal round of the Dagitab Festival Open Tennis Championship yesterday at Naga City Tennis Center.
The 35-year old Arcilla, who won the Tuna Festival Open title in General Santos and the Pintaflores crown in San Carlos City, has been on a tear after posting easy victories against the likes of Gabriel Riconala 6-1, 6-2, Argil Canizares 6-0, 6-2 and then Lazaro.
Up next for Arcilla is a semifinal showdown versus Ronard Joven today.
Not to be outdone was Patrick John Tierro, who broke the hearts of the hometown crowd not once but twice.
Tierro dominated Cebuanos Janji Soquino 7-5, 6-2 and Roel Capangpangan 6-1 (RET) to move advance to the penultimate round.
In the semis, Tierro will take on Vicente Alberto Anasta, who dominated Davao City’s Fritz Verdad 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
In the men’s doubles action, the Cebuano pairs of Kennex Abodia and Jan Godfrey Seno and Amiel Ayay-ay and Janji Soquino started their campaign on a high note with separate wins.
Booted out the singles competition, the tandem of Abodia and Seno vented their frustrations on Deo Talatayod and John Accion with a 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 victory.
Aya-ay and Soquino outsmarted the duo of Luke Flores and LA Canizares 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the second round.
In other matches, Arcilla and Ronard Joven sneaked past Nilo Ledama and Marc Pradel, 6-0, 6-2 while Leander Lazaro and Fritz Verdad outclassed Gabriel Riconala and Joshua Miranda 6-2, 6-1.