PCA big guns overpower foes

MARIAN JADE Capadocia kicked off her title defense on a high note by thrashing Monivic Santos, 6-0, 6-1, yesterday even as Marc Sieber and Johnny Arcilla cruised to the third round of men’s singles in the Philippine Columbian Association Open tennis championships presented by Cebuana Lhuillier at the PCA courts in Paco.

Capadocia, the 17-year-old bundle of power and quickness who hails from Antique, hardly broke a sweat in posting the victory in 45 minutes even as her two sisters also hurdled their first-round assignments.

Jella Jade Capadocia, the 20-year-old who plays for College of St. Benilde, outlasted Andrea Nicole Amistad, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, while 14-year-old Jade Charito downed Crizzabelle Paulino, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

“I’m liking my chances because I have been competing the past few months here and in the United States,” said Capadocia, who won four events in the US last August before ruling the first week of Phinma juniors and 18-under title of the PCA Open-Kia juniors championships last week.

Capadocia, who has accepted an offer for scholarship in the US starting next year, however acknowledged that it’s still a long way to go, adding that world ranked Fil-German Katharina Lehnert will be standing in her way to a title repeat. Top seed Lehnert is playing Nicole Eugenio today.

Arcilla, the winningest campaigner here, turned back a hard-hitting Alvee Villamor, 6-4, 6-1, and advanced against 2009 semifinalist Fil-Italian Marc Reyes, who ousted Leander Lazaro, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Sieber dumped Gilbert Estrada, 6-0, 6-0. The 24-year-old top seed then reiterated his intention to play for the national team, saying he will work on getting his Filipino passport next year.

“My goal is to play for the Philippines; it’s going to be exciting to play Davis Cup with Treat (Huey), Ruben (Gonzales), (Jeson) Patrombon, (Francis Casey) Alcantara and young guys like Jurence (Mendoza), but Germany doesn’t allow dual citizenship so I can’t get a Filipino passport without giving up my German citizenship,” said Sieber.

“But Filipinos always find a way, so I guess by next year we’ll get good news,” added Sieber, the 2010 champion who upon arriving in Manila Friday high-tailed it to Greenhills to shop. “It took us five hours because of traffic, and all I bought were two shirts.”

Also advancing were Davis Cupper Francis Casey Alcantara and Elbert Anasta.