Ruel, Lazaro reach semis

Second-seeded Rolando Ruel Jr. and No. 3 Alexander Lazaro scored similar hard-earned victories yesterday to reach the semifinals of the P400,000 Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open Tennis Championships at the PCA indoor shell-clay courts.

Ruel, who had a five-year stint in the RP Davis Cup team, bounced back from a first-set loss to beat national coach Chris Cuarto, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

"He played a lot better in the first set. But I was able to adjust in the second set and just played smart to win the match," said the 28-year-old Ruel, winner of the Abalos Cup and Escudero Cup early this year.

Ruel, a veteran of the 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, will meet the winner between fourth seed Elbert Anasta and fifth seed Yannick Guba, who were still playing at presstime.

Lazaro, quarterfinalist for the past four years, rallied past No. 11 Jaime Solon, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-0, to forge a semifinal showdown with top seed Johnny Arcilla.

Arcilla, the 2001 champion, outclassed RP Junior Davis Cup team member Ralph Kevin Barte, 6-1, 6-1.

In the ladies singles, fourth seed Arra Micayabas outlasted No. 8 Fil-Spanish Nivea Bezich, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, to join the top three seeds in the semifinals of the Philta-sanctioned event presented by Dunlop in cooperation with HP Phils., PVL Restaurant, Little Lawrence, Burlington Socks, Philippine Star and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Micayabas, a member of the UST tennis team, faces top seed Fil-American Denise Dy, who beat fifth seed Trudy Amoranto, 6-4, 6-1.

Second seed Bambi Zoleta, last year’s runner-up, defeated No. 6 Aileen Rogan, 6-2, 7-5, to advance against third seed Michelle Pang, a 6-2, 6-1 winner over seventh-seeded Bien Zoleta, 6-2, 6-1.