Monday, June 16, 2008 Negrense eyes RP Davies Cup slot
LA Carlota City tennis standout Yannick Guba, currently the country's No. 3 ranked pro, is firmly focused on the possibility of earning a slot in the country's Davies Cup team in the near future.
His father at the same time coach Socrates said, "Yannick has improved on the many aspects of his game since the last time I watched him played. In fact I was surprised at how he has developed into an all-around player both offensively and defensively.
The elder Guba told Sun.Star Bacolod in an interview recently that Yannick, who finished a degree in Mass Communications at De La Salle University where he led the Green Archers to back-to-back UAAP titles and was named Most Valuable Player for two consecutive seasons.
He proved his readiness to fight for a slot in the country's Davies Cup squad when he defeated Davis Cuppers Patrick John Tierro and Rolando Ruel to emerge champion of the Anacleto Alcala Memorial Cup National Open Tennis Championship in Lucena City at the Lucena City Tennis Club outdoor shell courts last month.
The fourth seed Guba defeated the second seed Tierro, 6-4, 6-3, in the semis and proceeded to prevail over the third seed Ruel, 6-4, 6-2, to showcase his growing mastery of seeded opponents in the summer circuit.
The former Palarong Pambansa champion Negrense, however, went down to Tierro later in Cebu City during the Lhuillier Open Championship to finish as first runner-up.
Ironically, Tierro, who is now enrolled at DLSU as a varsity tennis scholar is under Guba as the Negrense pro is now coaching his former collegiate team in the UAAP.
Yannick is the second of three tennis siblings of Socrates and Nimfa Guba. The eldest, Johan, also graduated from DLSU College of St. Benilde as a tennis varsity scholar while the youngest, Martina, a Palaro champion and national age-group standout, is a graduating senior at Doņa Hortensia Salas Benedicto National High School in La Carlota City this school year. (Henry C. Villalva)
