Arcilla, Pague lead title hunt in Tubod

MANILA, Philippines — Johnny Arcilla and Jose Maria Pague try to pick up the pieces of a shattered campaign in last week’s Malita Open as they headline the stellar field in the Lanao del Norte National Open Tennis Championships which got going yesterday at the MCC courts in Tubod.

The top two seeds fell in Davao Occidental’s premier tournament as unranked John Bryan Otico stunned the No. 1 Arcilla, 6-2, 6-4, in the semis then repelled Pague, 6-4, 6-3, to snatch the men’s singles Open crown worth P80,000.

But Otico, the 24-year-old stalwart of Loyola Marymount U in Los Angeles, won’t be seeing action this time, leaving Arcilla and Pague as the marked players in the battle for the top P50,000 prize in the week-long championship sponsored by Gov. Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo.

The event, which also features the men’s and women’s Open doubles, the Legends men’s doubles (30s, 40s, 50s and 60s) and the national age-group for boys and girls, is held in line with the host city’s 64th founding anniversary.

Also on tap are competitions in basketball, volleyball, football, cycling with tennis serving as the highlight of the 10-day festivities.