Shaira Hope Rivera and Alyssa Bornia ended sisters Kaye and Mica Ella Emana’s giant-slaying ways with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 victory to crown themselves women’s doubles champions of the 39th PCA Open Tennis Championships at its Plaza Dila, Paco indoor shell court Saturday.
The second-seeded Rivera-Bornia pair used their experience and superb shot making in outlasting the unheralded Emana siblings in snaring the title and the P35,000 purse that goes with.
It was a win that came after Rivera and Bornia downed Jenaila Rose Prulla and Makeilah Nepomuceno, 6-2, 7-6 (6), in the semis the day before.
The Emanas had earlier upset top seed Marian Jade Capadocia and Angeline Alcala, 7-5, 6-4.
But they ran into a game Rivera, a 23-year-old Southeast Asian Games veteran from Compostella Valley, and Bornia, a former titled age-grouper, and buckled under tremendous pressure and lost.
The men’s doubles title showdown pitting second pick Jeson Patrombon and Elbert Anasta against Jose Antonio Tria and Bryan Saarenas was ongoing at presstime with the winner receiving P70,000.
Patrombon and Anasta made it through by eliminating top seeds Johnny Arcilla and Ronard Joven, 7-6 (6) 7-6 (5), while Tria and Saarenas downed Joshua Kinaadman and Nilo Ledesma, 6-1, 5-7, 10-8.
In men’s singles, former ATP World No. 160 Guillermo Olaso of Spain sent No. 2 Jeson Patrombon packing with 7-5, 6-2 win to set up a finals duel with No. 1 seed Arcilla Sunday.
The women’s crown will be contested by favorites Capadocia and Prulla at 10 a.m. Sunday.
