Thursday, January 03, 2008 Lagman loses in Andrada
AFTER successfully defending his status as the erstwhile top player in the Boys 12 division, it is time for Cebuano tennis stalwart Jacob Lagman to play with the big boys.
However, Lagman of St. Benedict Childhood Education Centre overdid himself as he signed up for the Boys 16 division of the 19th Andrada Cup Tennis Tournament yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Center.
Lagman, who is only 12 years old, bombed out of the division early after losing 3-6, 3-6 to Israel Abarquez, who is four years older than him.
It was however a gallant loss as he pushed Abarquez to the brink, taking six games in their match.
Lagman had a chance to win at least a set, but had difficulty playing on clay.
“He was still adjusting because the clay was too hard and also he was up against an older opponent,” said Jacob’s mother Julie.
Jacob’s bid in the competition, however, is not over as the Andrada Cup marks the start of his bid for dominance in the 14-Under Boys division.
Jacob had been a strong force in the Boys 12 class and was the top-rated player in this division for two years. He capped it with a win in the Milo Junior Tennis Competition late last month and had a gold-silver-bronze performance in Malaysia.
“For J to still be on top of his division, he will need to practice harder,” Julie said.
Today, Jacob will be taking on Mark Jerome Santiago in his first assignment in the Boys 14-Under division. (MCB)
