Anasta-Alcoseba tops Suarez Cup

Vicente Anasta and Mark Alcoseba held off the late charge of Jordan Cimafranca and Alberto Villamor to pull out a 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 decision and claim the men’s doubles crown in the PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Cup at Philam Tennis Club in Quezon City over the weekend.

The Anasta-Alcoseba tandem struggled after romping off with a pair of lopsided victories early on and needed to churn out a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Rodolfo Barquin Jr. and Vince Salas in the semis before dropping the first set to the unranked Cimafranca-Villamor pair in the finals.

But the top-seeded duo regrouped and took the first three games of the second set before shattering a 6-all tie in the decider by winning the next three games. Though they dropped the next two, they put their act together and finished off Cimafranca and Villamor, who stopped Bryan Saarenas and John Saga, 6-2, 6-4, in their side of the semis in the tournament kicking off the new season of the Palawan Pawnshop- Palawan Express Pera Padala circuit.

Alcoseba, a member of the gold medal-winning soft tennis team in the recent Southeast Asian Games, later teamed up with Rollie Anasta to thwart Teddy Danao and Raymond Diaz, 8-5, and capture the title in the 30-years-old division.

No. 2 Jayson Benitez and Expedito Lim Jr. repulsed top seed Roland Kraut and Karl Santamaria, 8-7 (3), to pocket the 40s diadem, while Aldrin Geluz and Nasser Mortiga took the 50s trophy by turning back Jose Barro and Gabby Gatchalian, 8-6.

Meanwhile, the country’s top and rising junior players resume their chase for honors and ranking points as they slug it out in the PPS-PEPP Dinagyang Festival tennis tournament beginning on Thursday (Jan. 7). Also on tap in the six-day event are the Legends 40s, 50s and 60s.