INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--Top seed Anna Christine Patrimonio and four-time champion Czarina Mae Arevalo swept past their semifinal foes Saturday to forge a women?s singles title showdown in the Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open tennis championships.

The 17-year-old Patrimonio outclassed Jessica Agra, 6-3, 6-2, while Arevalo, who last won this tourney two years ago, blasted Patrimonio?s 15-year-old sister Anna Clarice, 6-2, 6-3, in one hour and 15 minutes.

Patrimonio will try to go all the way in Sunday?s finals at 11 a.m., with odds stacked against her in the Cebuana Lhuillier-backed tourney.

Also scheduled at 2 p.m. is the men?s final pitting four-time Johnny Arcilla against unheralded Fil-Italian Marc Reyes.

?She (Arevalo) plays like my sister, which means I expect to move fast tomorrow to catch up with her,? said the elder daughter of basketball legend Alvin Patrimonio.

The tall and slender Anna Christine took an early 4-2 lead in the first set and coasted to victory.

?I just tried to give her high balls and wait for the right time to attack,? said Anna Christine, who relied on her solid groundstrokes.

The 24-year-old Arevalo, the former RP No. 1 who is now based in Thailand, used her familiarity with the PCA shell courts to rout Anna Clarice.

Meanwhile, Francis Casey Alcantara and Ronard Joven ended the two-year reign of Johnny Arcilla and PJ Tierro as men?s doubles champion with a 7-6 (2), 6-2, victory.

The 17-year-old Alcantara, the reigning Australian Open juniors doubles champion, was all over the court firing volleys to spark the victory worth P20,000.