Lim lives up to lofty ranking, sweeps Iloilo Open titles

MANILA, Philippines — Top seed Alberto Lim Jr. delivered on expectations with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Eric Jed Olivarez to claim the men’s singles crown at the Semana Sang Iloilo National Open Tennis Championship at the Iloilo Sports Complex over the weekend.

Firmly entrenched as the country’s top-ranked player since last year, Lim continued to show why he's the man to beat. He put on a clinic of court control, tactical precision and shot-making brilliance — qualities that first made him a junior sensation and now reinforce his stature in the local tennis scene.

The reigning PCA Open champion was in peak form, dispatching Olivarez in straight sets to fortify his dominance on the national stage. The win not only extended his title haul but also snapped Olivarez’s own impressive streak of Open victories, which included wins over veteran campaigners Johnny Arcilla and Vicente Anasta, as well as rising talent John Benedict Aguilar.

After a brief slip in the fifth game of the first set, where Olivarez clawed back from 0-40 to break serve, Lim quickly responded with his own break and swept the next three games, including a love game, to clinch the set.

From there, it was all Lim, as he broke early in the second frame and never looked back, sealing the win and the P100,000 champion’s purse.

Lim also teamed up with Noel Salupado to shock the top-seeded pair of Anasta and Olivarez in a gripping doubles final, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 10-8. The third-seeded tandem displayed poise, chemistry and resilience, edging their rivals in a tightly contested match filled with dazzling exchanges and dramatic momentum swings.

Lim and Salupado earlier took down the No. 2 seeds RJ Saga and Fritz Verdad in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to book their place in the finals.

While Lim cruised through his singles matches, his toughest test a 7-5, 6-3 semis win over Anasta, Olivarez also impressed en route to the final, surrendering only three games in two matches before outplaying Verdad, 6-4, 6-1, in the semis.

In other results, Onyok Anasta and Miru Tupas captured the men’s Pro-Am doubles title after edging Arnold Rodriguez and Edgar Pestaño.