Patrombon thwarts Olivarez in finale

MANILA, Philippines — Jeson Patrombon repulsed Jed Olivarez to capture the PPS-PEPP Olivarez Cup crown via a 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4 decision at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat over the weekend.

Patrombon, 28, wore down Olivarez in a gripping third-set battle, snapping their hold-hold game by breaking the latter in the 10th after blowing two match points. Then he forced a deuce and won the last two points to clinch the three-hour, 10-minute victory worth P30,000.

The Iligan City ace capped his big weekend by teaming up with Vicente Anasta to thwart Olivarez and Joewyn Pascua, 7-5, 6-4, for the doubles crown of the event organized by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala. It marked the return of the country’s longest running circuit from a two-year pandemic disruption.

Patrombon, who marked his run with a string of straight-sets victories, including an abbreviated win over No. 3 and many-time fellow Davis Cup teammate Johnny Arcilla, dropped a set for the first time as the 23-year-old Olivarez pulled through in a tense tiebreaker after trading breaks in the seventh and 10th games of the opening set.

But the top-seeded Patrombon recovered in the second frame and roared in the decider.

Meanwhile, junior action returns next month with Iloilo hosting the Mayor Jerry Trenas tournament on April 1-5 at the Iloilo City Tennis Courts in La Paz Plaza, which also features the Open doubles and Legends doubles 40s, 50s and 60s categories.

For details and listup, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464., breaking Olivarez in the fourth and eighth games to essay the 51-minute win. It sent the match to a deciding set where the second-ranked Olivarez struggled in the second game before hacking out a scrambling win to draw level.

They held serve in the next seven games with Patrombon taking command in the 10th and Olivarez, who downed Anasta in three in the semis, countering to keep in step before wresting control after forcing two deuces.