Eric Jed Olivarez finally put one over top seed Johnny Arcilla, hacking out a 6-3, 6-3 victory even as Charles Kinaadman dispatched Alexis Acabo, 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinal round of the Rep. Edward Hagedorn Open National Tennis Championships at the Karawatan PPS Playground in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Tuesday.
Olivarez practically wore down the 43-year-old Arcilla in a baseline duel on a fast surface, breaking him right in the second game of the opening set and fighting back from a bungled service turn in the fifth with another break in the sixth.
The fifth-ranked ace then held serve twice to seize control.
Arcilla, who beat Olivarez twice in the finals to sweep the Lanao Open series last month, traded serves in the first six games in the second set but dropped the seventh in shutout fashion and Olivarez went on a held-break finish to complete the victory and dethrone the multi-titled campaigner.
The third-ranked Kinaadman, on the other hand, cut short Acabo’s surge with a break in the fifth game of the first set then repeated the feat in the ninth to take command.
The Lapu-Lapu City native also broke Acabo, who stunned second seed Jose Maria Pague, 6-2, 4-6, 10-2, in the Last 16 phase, twice in the second frame to match Olivarez’s straight-set romp in the Group A tournament presented by Dunlop.
Olivarez and Kinaadman dispute the crown and the top P50,000 purse at 4 p.m. on Thursday in a clash of doubles partners.
The pair likewise led the semifinal cast in the men’s doubles as they routed Jelic Amazona and Jude Ceniza, 6-1, 6-4, to seal a clash with Pague and John Sonsona, who held off Dave Mosqueda and Eric Tangub, 6-3, 6-3.
Arcilla and Nilo Ledama foiled Acabo and Noel Salupado, 6-7(5), 6-3, 10-5, to arrange a face-off with Vicente Anasta and Fritz Bernaldes, who subdued Randy Delavin and Andre Santos, 6-4, 6-2.
On their way to the finals of the event, Olivarez eased past Yves Balingit, 6-1, 6-2, and Brent Cortes, 6-1, 6-1, then repulsed Mosqueda, 6-3, 6-4, before stopping Arcilla’s run of Open romps.
