San Beda’s Princess delivers

Princess Catindig looks up to 2018 US Open tennis champion Naomi Osaka as her role model.

“Who wouldn’t be impressed by her, she beat Serena Williams,” said the 20-year-old Catindig in Filipino.

The Santa Rosa, Laguna native, who also admires local stars Bien Zoleta and Khim Iglupas, said she patterns her game style after that of the Japanese champion, who is known for her power and speed.

Using just enough of those attributes, Catindig powered San Beda to its fifth straight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) soft tennis championship over the weekend at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Catindig also bagged the Most Valuable Player award.

Ranked second in the semifinals, San Beda trounced top team St. Benilde, 2-0, for the title. Perpetual wound up third, and Lyceum fourth in the women’s overall standings.

Catindig and partner Mia Samson destroyed Toni Raymundo and Jade Capadocia, 5-2, for the pivotal win for the Lady Red Lions.

Then, Vervienica Bejosano crushed Eunice Tabo-Tabo 4-0 in singles play for the clincher.

Ma. Louise Diloy, Jasmine Buan and Ronnela Magcale comprised the rest of the San Beda squad, which lost to St. Benilde in the preliminaries.

“Sometimes the crowd cheer for our opponents because maybe they are tired of us winning all the time,” said Catindig, who also bagged gold in the 4th Agel World Tour Soft Tennis in Pattaya, Thailand, last June.