SIMC's Bacarisas and Villamor rule Class A in MLSDF netfest

Edwin Bacarisas and Andre Villamor of Southern Islands Medical Center (SIMC) TC drubbed Titus Tabotabo and Dodong Ruelan of Tuburan, 8-4, to win the Class A championship of the M. Lhuillier Sports Development Foundation (MLSDF)-backed 1st M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Cup Inter-Club Tennis Tournament the other night at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club tennis courts.

Bacarisas and Villamor preyed on Tabotabo and Ruelan's string of errors at the outset to take a commanding 6-2 lead.

The closest Tabotabo and Ruelan could come was at 4-6 as Bacarisas and Villamor swept the next two frames to clinch the title.

Richard Zabate and Elmer Yac of Pardo TC and Lemuel Rubi and Medjok Paden of Mactan Island Lawn Tennis Sports Club, Inc. also had their share of the limelight after topping their respective divisions.

Zabate and Yac conjured all the strength they could muster to beat the hard-fighting Mactan Island TC tandem of Caloy Calo-oy and Junjie Deiparine via tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-4) and claim the Class B+ crown, while Rubi and Paden had little trouble in whipping Jerry Campo and Danny Largo of Naga, 8-3, to rule Class B-.

Though the heavy underdog, Calo-oy and Deiparine fought hard enough to lead on several ocassions the last was at 7-6.

Zabate and Yac countered in the next set to tie the score at 7-all and forge a race-to-7 tie-breaker.

Things again went well for Calo-oy and Deiparine as they enjoyed a 4-3 lead. That was, however, their last gasp of breath as Zabate and Yac wrapped up the match using a decisive 4-0 run.

Rubi and Paden, on the other hand, left Campo and Largo groping for form after they got off to a blistering 5-1 start.

Campo and Largo pulled within 3-6, but Rubi and Paden wasted no time in going for the kill.

Naga TC bets, however, did not go home empty-handed as Rigor Gurrea and Vennox Garcia blasted PHO TC's Tata Caballero and Lito Lanquino, 8-3, to seize the Class C+ title. The outcome was already evident in favor of Gurrea and Garcia when they took a 6-2 advantage.

The sponsoring M. Lhuillier has given away P30,000 in cash prizes and trophies to the different category champions and their respective runners-up.

On hand to award the trophies and cash prizes during the simple awarding rites was MLSDF executive director and multi-titled coach Eddie Ybañez.

The eight-day event, extended into two weeks due to inclement weather, formally winds up this morning at Baseline tennis courts with the conclusion of the Class C- competition and the awarding of the overall champion.