Josshua Kinaadman mounted a remarkable comeback against doubles partner Eric Jed Olivarez, hacking out a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 decision to claim the Dagitab Festival National Open Tennis Championship crown at the City of Naga courts in Cebu last Thursday.
The fourth-ranked Kinaadman kept his nerves in check coming off an early stumble, staging a resurgence in the second frame then unleashing a strong finishing kick in the third to turn back the recent Rep. Edwin Olivarez Cup winner and snare the hotly-disputed title worth P60,000.
But Johnny Arcilla and Rolly Saga foiled Kinaadman and Olivarez in the Open doubles as they toppled the fancied duo in a marathon duel, 0-6, 7-6(6), 18-16, in the P330,000 event sponsored by Mayor Val Chiong.
Arcilla and Saga pocketed P50,000.
Despite his failed sweep bid, Kinaadman’s triumph in the singles was a testament to his tenacity and skill with the victory also avenging his final loss to Olivarez in the Hagedorn Open last August.
Kinaadman and Olivarez traded serves in the first four games and exchanged breaks in the next two before the latter broke the former again in the seventh and took the next two games to wrest control.
But Kinaadman didn’t flinch, pulling off a break in the third game in the second set then battled Olivarez to a hold-hold game the rest of the way, forcing the decider with a shutout win in the 10th game.
The Lapu-Lapu City native then overcame a 0-30 deficit in the first game of the third, winning four of the next six points to open with a break, only to concede his serve in the fourth to set the stage for a tightly contested decider.
Kinaadman broke Olivarez in the fifth, held serve in the next and won the last two to complete the come-from-behind victory and lead the winners in the week-long Group A tournament wrapping up another successful season of the country’s longest-running circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
In other results, Ormoc’s Kenzo Brodeth routed local bet Jonathan Largo, 6-1, 6-1, in a duel of unranked bets to capture the boys’ 18-and-under grand slam juniors, while Lapu-Lapu City’s Tiffany Nocos took the girls’ trophy with a 6-3, 6-2 reversal over No. 2 Kate Imalay from Bato, Leyte.
Cebu’s Juvels Velos and Samantha Ortega topped the consolation pool with victories over Nicholas Ocat, 4-1, 4-1, and Donna Diamante, 4-2, 3-5, 11-9, respectively, with Velos and Brodeth later teaming up to bag the 18-and-U boys’ doubles title in the tournament, which also staked Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Tennis points.
Other winners were (Classified doubles) Jonito Crisosto and Danny Sajonia (B), Erolito Remedio and Virgilio Vidal (C+), Renante Repunte and Joveno Garcia (C-), and Francis Aclan and Galeos Columbus (D).
Leading the Legends category champions were Mark Alcoseba (men’s singles 35s), Celestino Solon (45s), Alcoseba and Noel Salupado (doubles 30s), JD Benitez and Solon (doubles 40s) and Benitez and Elmer Yac (doubles 50s).
