Olivarez turns back Eric Olivarez, faces Tangub for National Open crown

MANILA, Philippines — Eric Olivarez overcame a second-set stumble to reassert his dominance over Noel Damian, scoring a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory to book his place in the finals of the Mayor Edwin Olivarez National Open Tennis Championships on Friday at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat.

After cruising through the opening set, the top-seeded Olivarez found himself in a tougher battle as Damian raised his level and forced a tense exchange of service holds. Damian held serve in the ninth game before breaking Olivarez in the next, rallying from a 15-40 deficit by winning four straight points to snatch the second set and even the match.

But the setback proved only a temporary interruption for the Western Michigan product, who regrouped and regained control in the decider. Olivarez broke Damian in the third game and steadily tightened his grip on the match, keeping his opponent on the defensive.

After conceding the seventh game, Olivarez responded with a decisive burst of four straight points to build a commanding 5-2 cushion before closing out the match in the next game.

Standing between Olivarez and the championship crown is Eric Jay Tangub, who secured the other finals berth with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over unranked Richard Bautista.

Olivarez and Tangub will dispute the title and the top P100,000 prize when they clash at 9 a.m. Saturday in the P415,000 tournament, which features the country's leading campaigners alongside a promising crop of emerging talents.

Olivarez reached the championship round after beating David Abordo, 6-4, 6-1, overpowering Marraphael Teng, 6-2, 6-3, and routing veteran Vicente Anasta, 6-1, 6-1. Tangub, meanwhile, opened his campaign with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Gurkan Nasilbilirsen, followed by a 6-2, 6-0 triumph over James Aquino and a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Loucas Fernandez.

Olivarez is also in contention for a men's doubles championship after teaming up with Nilo Ledama to eliminate Evan Bacalso and McLeen Gomera. They will next face Al-Zayeed Baid and Elvin Geluz, who defeated Anasta and Jerome Bernales, 6-3, 6-3.

In the other doubles semifinal, Damian and Brysl Libao advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Austin delos Santos and Dos Gaddi. They will take on Tangub and Bautista, who survived John Benedict Aguilar and Rolly Saga, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8.

Beyond the competition, the annual National Open reflects the Olivarez family's sustained commitment to strengthening Philippine tennis through consistent support for tournaments that give players opportunities to compete, improve and measure their skills against quality opposition.

Sponsored by Mayor Edwin Olivarez and Rep. Eric Olivarez, the championship provides an important platform for established campaigners to maintain their competitive edge while giving emerging players the exposure and experience needed to advance their careers. Through initiatives such as this, the Olivarez family continues to contribute to the growth of the sport by helping broaden its competitive base and sustain opportunities for the country's next generation of tennis talents. (Pool story)

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