Arcilla stuns Fil-German ace, enters PCA final

MANILA, Philippines - Six-time champion Johnny Arcilla surprised top seed Fil-German Marc Sieber with his power, guile and class and essayed a 6-1, 6-4 victory to barge into the men’s singles finals of the PCA Open Tennis Championships presented by Cebuana Lhuillier at the PCA courts in Paco, Manila yesterday.

Arcilla dished out a superb all-around game and pounced on Sieber’s erratic start to build some momentum before holding on in the end to complete the straight-set victory and set a title showdown with Ruben Gonzales.

The second seeded Gonzales thwarted Elbert Anasta, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) in the other semis clash.

“My game clicked and he (Sieber) committed a lot of errors,” said Arcilla after foiling his 2010 final tormentor.

After a cruise in the opener, Arcilla surged to a 5-2 lead in the second frame but yielded the next two games before hanging tough to carve out the win in the tournament also sponsored by Kia, Dunlop, Head, Babolat, Whirpool, PCSO and PVL Restaurants.

“He (Arcilla) was too clever on the court,” said Sieber. “I did my best but I was into it very late in the game.”

Sieber, whose stint here and that of Fil-Am Cuppers Gonzales and Treat Huey was shouldered by tennis patron Jean Henri Lhuillier, broke for 5-3 and then held serve for 5-4.

“I tried to break his momentum but he hit good shots,” said Sieber.

Arcilla, who needed three sets to oust Patrick John Tierro in the quarters, will take on his Davis Cup teammate Gonzales who toiled for almost two hours to deflect another former Cupper Anasta later in the day.

“His serves were too heavy,” said Anasta of Gonzales.

The 27-year-old Gonzales broke in the eighth game of the first set, rallying from a 15-30 deficit with a brilliant return. Anasta protested the call and went on to smash his racket when the umpire ruled against him.

“That was the turning point,” said Anasta, who shocked Fil-Am Davis Cupper Treat Huey in the quarters.

He escaped match point with a forehand winner that drew applause from the crowd, 6-6. But the Philippine Army private made a double fault next and then fired long to yield the match.

In women’s play, fancied Fil-German Katharina Lehnert faces Rachelle de Guzman, while Clarice Patrimonio takes on defending champion Marian Jade Capadocia in today’s singles semis.