By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After a thrilling championship series with the University of San Agustin, the CPU Golden Lions overcame the toughest of challenges and won the overall title in the 2019 PRISAA Men’s tertiary tennis.
Fans wearing yellow and blue cheered against those who wore red as the La Paz tennis court was filled with CPU and San Agustin fans.
In the first singles, CPU outlasted San Agustin, 8-5, with a masterful performance from CPU’s John Dreve Jimenea, beating up his opponent on the net and baseline rallies.
The next game featured a thrilling doubles match between Don Balsicas and Onirel Estoque of San Agustin against CPU’s JJ Gazo and Lorenzo Legaspi.
It was a slugfest, as both pairs traded baseline rallies and displayed scintillating reflexes in the fast-paced net action.
CPU first led 2-0, but the pair from San Agustin adjusted their gameplan and pressed more into the net, adding more pressure on the CPU side to hit the ball harder.
Estoque and Balsicas first got lead at 6-5, but CPU answered and equalized it at 6-6.
San Agustin displayed poise under pressure and committed fewer errors in the winning moments and sealed the game, 8-6.
The do-or-die last singles match featured a comeback from the Golden Lions, as Matthew Flores rallied from being down 1-6 to win the game, 8-6.
CPU team captain Flores managed to eke out a win despite being down big early to officially give his team the overall title.
In the women’s tennis, it was the University of San Agustin who got gold and CPU placed second.
