Iglupas bags singles title in Olivarez Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Top seed Khim Iglupas made it two in a row in the Olivarez Cup Tennis Championships, besting Marian Capadocia, 6-3, 6-3, to capture the women’s Open singles crown before a huge weekend crowd at at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque City.

Iglupas, 17, used her power and superb groundstrokes and banked on her solid baseline game to neutralize Capadocia, clinching crucial points in a number of long rallies that highlighted the match between the country’s leading players.

That completed Iglupas’ domination of the centerpiece division of the annual event presented by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala through COO Bobby Castro and sanctioned by Philta. She took home the top P25,000 purse,

“Khim has been playing great tennis and she worked hard to reach her status which should serve as inspiration to our younger crop of players,” said Philta president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

Iglupas broke Capadocia right in the first game and the two players held serve in the next seven games before the former broke the latter again in the ninth to clinch the set.

Iglupas re-asserted her might in the second set, breaking her rival in the fourth game to seize a 3-1 lead. Capadocia actually broke back in the next and held serve to force a 3-3 count. But Iglupas regained her form and swept the next three, the match and the crown.

Meanwhile, wild card Francis Alcantara faces top seed PJ Tierro in today’s men’s final.