Arcilla reaches 3rd round of Peugeot Philipine Open net

CEBU, Philippines – The top-seeded Johnny Arcilla had little trouble in dispatching fellow Cebuano netter Jaime Catteo in straight sets to reach the third round of the inaugural Peugeot Philippine Tennis Open-Cebu leg at the Cebu Country Club yesterday.

Arcilla, one of the longest-serving Philippine Davis Cupper and eight-time PCA champion, logged in just 30 minutes in his masterful 6-1, 6-0 demolition of Catteo.

At first, Arcilla only joined the action as part of his rigorous preparations for the national finals, but he now means business after Francis Casey "Nino"Alcantara, another Davis Cupper and one of the country's top-ranked players today, decided to play here in Cebu as well.

A mouth-watering championship showdown between Alcantara and Arcilla is highly anticipated by fans, but the rest of the contenders are not giving up the fight yet.

Arcilla will face next Marc Nicole Suson, while the Cagayan de Oro City-native Alcantara is yet to play his first assignment opposite Hector Toledano through the second round. Suson advanced at the expense of another Cebuano bet in Clyde Dale Bienes.

Clyde's cousin Mike Bienes, however, kept his title hopes alive after trouncing Royen Cabunilas, 6-3, 6-2.

Norman Joseph Enriquez is the fourth player to barge into the third round after grabbing a 6-2,6-3 victory against Raymund Sambas.

Calvin Chung, for his part, won by walkover against Arnold Reuyan. He will take on next seeded no.4 Roel Capangpangan.

In the other matches, Ralph Julianne, Alvin Labastida, Jan Godfrey Seno, Jose Maria Pague, Franklin Encarnacion and Marc Pradel hurdled their opening assignments.

Julianne pulled off a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Francis Hidalgo, Labastida outsmarted Mark Ang, 6-2, 7-5, while Pradel escaped past Janriel Asilo, 6-3, 5-7, 10-2. Seno, Pague and Encarnacion all won by default.  (FREEMAN)