Aces roll into PPS-PEPP Iloilo Open semifinals

MANILA, Philippines - Johnny Arcilla, Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad and Leander Lazaro carved out victories in varying fashions as the top four seeds rolled into the semifinal round of the first Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Iloilo City Men’s Open Tennis Championship at the Iloilo City Tennis Center in La Paz yesterday.

Arcilla cut short younger brother Joseph’s surge, 6-2, 6-1, as the multi-titled top seeded bet stayed in the hunt for another Open crown while No. 2 Anasta clipped Kyle Parpan, 6-3, 6-1, in the lower half of the 32-player draw that features the top 16 players in the current Philippine Tennis Association ranking.

No. 3 Verdad, meanwhile, scored a 6-4, 3-0 (ret.) win over No. 6 Mari Altiche while the fourth seeded Lazaro needed an extra set to dispose of fifth ranked Roel Capangpangan, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, in the weeklong event presented by Palawan Pawnshop and held in partnership with the City of Iloilo and sanctioned by Philta headed by president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“This promises to be a thriller of a semis but Arcilla and Anasta need to toughen up against Lazaro and Verdad, who are both capable of pulling off surprises, making the Final Four worth watching,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Johnny, who swept the PPS-PEPP Open crowns in Gen. Santos City, San Carlos City and Naga City, Cebu last year, faces Lazaro while Anasta and Verdad dispute the other finals berth in the event backed by Slazenger.

Host Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Vice Mayor and Iloilo City Sports Council chairman Joe Espinosa III are also expecting a pair of fierce semis duels and a tight finale in the event, the biggest tennis tournament the city is hosting in a long while and held as part of the city’s program to host national and international sports competitions.

The event, according to tournament organizer and supervisor Bobby Mangunay, also the PPS-PEPP sports program development director, offers P40,000 to the winner with the runner-up to get P20,000 and the two other semifinalists P10,000 each. The doubles winners will receive P20,000 with the second placers taking home P10,000.