Ateneans take singles in RP-Japan tennis opener

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo, powered by national pool members Michelle Pang and Ivy de Castro, edged Toyo Gakuen University Sunday at the start of the Philippines-Japan University Friendship Tennis ‘09 at the Alabang Country Club tennis courts.

Pang and De Castro beat their respective rivals in the girls singles matches to lift the Eagles to a 7-5 result. That gave the local college netters a morale-boost in this four-day tourney, which culminates with the Japanese taking on national team members.

``The objective of the tourney is to foster camaderie and exchange of tennis technology between Japanese college players and their Filipino counterparts,’’ said chief organizer Moto Sunagawa of I-Merge Online.

Ateneo’s Leyan Moncena and Jolo Opulencia opened the event with an 8-6 triumph over Ryohei Okada and Kazuhiro Hashima in boys doubles, before Shohei Maruta and Kazuto Kawata evened things up with an 8-5 win over Mark Balce and Julius Lagman.

Opulencia, Moncena and Lagman next took singles victories each over Okada (6-3), Kawata (6-3) and Hashima (6-3). But Toyo Gakuen’s top guy Maruta salvaged some pride by beating Mark Balce, 6-4.

Kana Morimoto and Ayaka Iwata worked in tandem to down Pang and Pax Rivero, 8-7 (3) in the first girls doubles, before De Castro and Makki San Andres paired off to beat Yumiko Watanabe and Kurumi Suzuki, 8-6.

Morimoto routed San Andres, 6-1, and Suzuki got the better of Rivero, 6-2, in the other two girls singles.

The Tokyo-based Toyo Gakuen team is to play similar matches against University of the Philippines and current UAAP men’s champion team La Salle.

But the centerpiece event would be the friendly match between them and the RP pool members on Oct. 14 at the Palms Country Club.

They will go up against Davis Cuppers Johnny Arcilla, PJ Tierro, Jaime Solon, RK Barte, Christine Patrimonio, Bambi Zoleta, Michelle Pang and Jessie Agra. Head coach is RP mentor Cris Cuarto.

Matches will feature Filipino players pairing with Japanese, according to organizers.

Sunagawa said the series will be shown on Japanese TV to promote the university’s sporting program as well as size up their strenght against the Filipino netters.

Japan will be up against the Philippines when the country campaigns in Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 in March.