Arcilla leads Bacolod cast

MANILA, Philippines - RP Davis Cup player Johnny Arcilla and former Australian Open champion Francis Casey Alcantara will be leading the Bacolod Tennis Open on March 16-21.

Arcilla and Alcantara are among the top 16 tennis players in the country who will be competing at the tournament which will be held at the Noah’s Haven Tennis Club Homesite, Bacolod City.

Organized and managed by the United Tennis Players of the Philippines (UTPP) and supervised by Tom Falcis, the tournament’s pot cash prize for the winners is P100,000.

The singles champion will take home the top prize of P25,000 while the runner-up and third placer will receive P15,000 and P7,000, respectively. The doubles champion, on the other hand, will get P15,000 while the second, third and fourth placers will receive P7,000, P4,000 and P2,000, respectively.

Dubbed as the “Johnny Arcilla Tennis Circuit,” the weeklong tennis tournament is to help train and hone the skills of the top 16 tennis players in the country, said Hatta Dimaporo, UTPP president.

“It is our goal that we will provide tennis tournament once for every month for the netters in support for the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association (Philta)’s drive to conduct tennis competition six or seven times in a year,” Dimaporo said.

Since UTPP started to sponsor tennis tournaments in the various places nationwide last year, the tennis players were encouraged to practice more than they used to be as they have now the venue and the access to hone their talents, Dimaporo said.

In addition to Arcilla and Alcantara, other participants which include Ronald Joven, Rolando Ruel, Jeson Patrombon, Kenneth Salvo, Arven Ruel and Juvan Divinagracia, among others who will be competing in the tournament.

Dimaporo said that he is happy to see the members of the Philippine tennis pool training hard in anticipation that one day they can compete in international tennis circuits, which are dominated by the Western nations.

The tournament was made possible through donors and supporters such as the Action for Dynamic Development (ADD) Movement, Al Husien Construction, Lanao de Norte Gov. Khalid Quibranza Dimaporo, Air Force One, Dr. Ver Lacson, Sylvia Manor Hotel.

Noah Haven Eatery and Internet Café, Atty. Rudy King, RYP Philta, Bong Arguilles, Pryce Gases Inc., Chic Salon de Beaute, Jane’ la Couiffure, Boro-Boro Spring, and Coca-Cola. 

Known as the City of Smiles, Bacolod City is one of the cities in the country that supports Philippine tennis.