malaysiang
Paco, Manila – Shaira Hope Rivera and Allyssa Mae Bornia successfully defended their women’s doubles title at the 40th Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open Tennis Championships on Saturday. The top-seeded pair emerged victorious with a 6-4, 6-3 win against second seeds Rovie Baulate and Elsie Abarquez.
According to Philippines News Agency, Rivera and Bornia were motivated by a previous defeat to Baulate and Abarquez in the Metro Manila Open earlier in May.
The 24-year-old Cebu native, Bornia, shared her enthusiasm for the win in an interview. She recounted the pivotal moment in the second set when the duo was trailing 1-3, emphasizing the importance of resilience and a strong finish. This victory follows their last year’s triumph against siblings Mica Ella and Kaye Emana in the final, which they won with a score of 6-3, 6-4.
In a related event at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, Bornia teams up with Baulate and Abarquez, all of whom represent the National University. This adds an interesting dynamic to their competition in the PCA Open.
In other tournament news, the top-seeded Rivera paired with Elbert Anasta to win the mixed doubles title. They defeated the second-seeded team of Bornia and Ronard Joven with a score of 7-5, 6-2. The men’s doubles final saw Bryan Saarenas and Hawaii-based Andre Ilagan outmaneuver Joven and Johnny Arcilla in a closely contested match, ending with scores of 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 10-8.
The PCA Open is set to conclude with the men’s and women’s singles finals on Sunday. The champions are set to receive substantial cash prizes, with the men’s winner taking home PHP 300,000 and the women’s champion receiving PHP 100,000.
