Unranked John Bryan Otico pulled off one of the most stirring triumphs in PPS-PEPP Open Championships, toppling the top two seeds, including No. 2 Jose Maria Pague, 6-4, 6-3, in the finals to clinch the men’s singles crown in the Malita Open in Davao Occidental yesterday.
The 24-year-old Otico earlier ended Johnny Arcilla’s string of Open title romps, outdueling and outlasting the top-ranked veteran Davis Cupper in long rallies on his way to a 6-2, 6-4 reversal in the semis. He then shattered Pague with a key break in the ninth game of the fiercely-fought first set of the finals then sustained his assault with two breaks in the next frame for a 5-1 count at the Malita Tennis Club.
Pague did hold serve in the seventh then broke Otico in the next but the Maramag, Bukidnon find, playing out of Loyola Marymount U in Los Angeles, broke back in the ninth to wrap up the victory worth P80,000.
No. 5 Alexei Santos of UST capped the day of the lesser lights as she produced her own stunner in women’s singles, beating top seed Tennielle Madis, 6-3, 6-2, to pocket the top prize of P30,000 in the 10-day event.
Otico, a finalist in the recent Manila Open, worked his way into contention with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Eric Tangub following a walkover win in the opening round of the event hosted by Mayor Bradly Bautista.
He booted out No. 5 Eric Jed Olivarez, 6-2, 6-4, then held off fourth seed Vicente Anasta, 7-5, 6-4, to earn a crack at Arcilla, who dropped just five games in three matches to reach the semis of the P664,000 tournament held in conjunction with the city’s Paugnat Festival celebrations.
After crushing Dale Estonillo, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round in the lower half of the 64-player draw, Pague, the Buglasan Open winner last year, struggled past Noel Salupado, 7-6(4), 6-3, and survived Ronard Joven, 6-7(6), 6-0, 2-1(ret.) before clipping No. 3 Charles Kinaadman, 6-4, 6-1, in the semis.
Otico later teamed up with Danna Abad to repel Tangub and Nicole dela Rita, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7, for the mixed doubles title.
