Joven rips Ruel in big Cebuana upset

MANILA, Philippines – Ronard Joven bundled out third seed Rolando Ruel, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, in a second day reversal in the Cebuana Lhuillier Open Tennis Circuit in a grueling three-set encounter on a rainy Wednesday morning at the Baseline Tennis Club here.

Joven outlasted Ruel in what was easily the biggest surprise win so far in this tournament backed by Cebuana Lhuillier and sponsored by Pera Padala, Le Soleil de Boracay, P. Lhuillier Insurance Agency and Philten.

Joven joined Francis Casey Alcantara in the quarterfinal round after the teenage sensation brought down Mario Sabas, 6-0, 6-1.

In a match that saw both players fighting for eight deuces and trying to save every point that counts, Joven made the crucial adjustments to pull off the stunning win. He came out more aggressive in the second and third sets after losing the first set of the match and didn’t let up even against a last-ditch stand by his more heralded rival.

Ruel, who convincingly won the first set by using his power, found himself in trouble in the second and third sets. He was behind 1-5 in the final set when he made a spirited charge and took the next two games. But that was the best he could offer as the last deuce of the match saw Joven getting the better of the exchanges.

“He overpowered me in the first set,” said the Sultan Kudarat-native Joven, who was also regarded for pulling off a shocking victory over Johnny Arcilla in an invitational event in August last year.

While Joven needed extra effort in pulling the rug from under Ruel, Alcantara unraveled yet another A-grade performance against the stocky Sabas.

The scores were similar to his easy victory in the opening day over Christian Tiongko, but for the pride of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, the outcome won’t reflect on the final tally.

“This victory was quite difficult compared to my previous match. We have so many deadlocks and deuces in the match and we also had long rallies,” said Alcantara, who will be competing in the coming French Open and Wimbledon tournaments.

Alcantara had better movement inside the court as its usual dry surfaced was dampened by the early morning rain.

“Mas advantage ito sa lahat ng player kasi we can have more control of our movements,” added Alcantara, whose backhand return proved to be too much against his rival.