Sans Fil-foreigners, Arcilla leads locals in PCA Open

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open unwraps today with keen competition seen in both the men’s and ladies divisions at the PCA indoor shell clay courts in Paco, Manila.

With last year’s champions Fil-German Marc Sieber and Fil-Am Desirae Krawczyck begging off for various reasons, the battle for the titles is expected to go down-to-the-wire among the leading local players, headed by many-time PCA Open champion Johnny Arcilla, Elbert Anasta, Patrick John Tierro and Ronaldo Ruel Jr.

Expected to slug it out for the women’s crown are 2011 SEA bronze medalist Clarice Patrimonio, Olivarez Philta Open champion Bambi Zoleta, Tamitha Olivarez-Nguyen and Marian Jade Capadocia.

Sieber is currently competing in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournaments in Germany while Krawczyck is vying in some major events in the US.

Aside from the men’s and women’s singles and doubles titles, also up for grabs are titles in the men’s and ladies’ interclub events, inter-college events, executive-amateur, and the junior event.

A total of P500,000 awaits the winners of the tournament presented by Cebuana Lhuillier.

“Every year is very exciting for us. Everything is so unpredictable in this tournament. We get to see the players’ skills, techniques and emotions all at the same time and that level of passion boosts not only our players’ morale but ours, too, and that keeps us motivated to enhance the sport by providing world-class tournaments like this,” said Cebuana Lhuillier CEO Jean-Henri Lhuillier.

The men’s singles champion will pocket P100,000 while the ladies’ titlist gets P50,000.

The tournament is sanctioned by the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association.