Pague, Anasta seal Brookside Open title clash

JOSE Maria Pague and doubles partner Vicente Anasta both needed an extra set but pulled through just the same as they repulsed Eury Gaspar and Noel Damian, respectively, yesterday to seal a title showdown in the men’s singles of the Brookside Open National Championships at the Brookside Hills courts in Cainta, Rizal.

Pague bounced back from a second set stumble with a dominant fightback in the decider, carving out a 6-2, 1-6, 6-0 victory over Gaspar in their semifinal face-off in the upper half of the 64-player draw, while Anasta rallied from a set down to score 3-6, 6-1, 3-0(ret.) win as the fifth-ranked Damian suffered cramps in their side of the semis duel.

The top seeded Pague and the No. 2 Anasta dispute the crown and the top P50,000 purse at 4 p.m. today (Sunday).

Pague romped off with straight- set wins over John Ayson, 6-1, 6-0, and Francisco Santos, 6-3, 6-1, in the second and third rounds, respectively, but faltered in the early going against Jude Caniza before pulling off a 5-7, 6-1, 5-5(ret.) win in the quarterfinals of the Group A tournament backed by Rep. Michael John “Jack” Duavit and organized by Brookside Tennis Club president Allan del Castillo.

It was a sorry finish Caniza, who battled Pague shot-for-shot in the third set before cramping out.

Pague, meanwhile, recovered big from a second set loss in the semis with an imposing shutout win in the third set against Gaspar to arrange a face-off with Anasta, who hacked out four tough wins to gain a shot at the crown in the week-long event held under the PPS-PEPP tennis program put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

Damian and Alberto Villamor earlier upended the top-ranked pair of Pague and Anasta, 6-3, 6-1, to advance to the finals of the men’s doubles against Elvin Geluz and Marco Macalintal, who trounced Junel Canal and John Sonsona, 6-2, 6-4, for a crack at the top P40,000 prize.

Earlier, No. 3 Nilo Ledama, No. 4 Ronard Joven, sixth-ranked John Mari Altiche and the comebacking Alberto Lim took the early exit in singles play of the tournament presented by Dunlop and supported by Biyaheng Pinas Travel & Tours, Jalal Food PH and Mangangalugad Book Travel Stay.