AFTER five years, some of the country’s rated women players led by highly-touted Patrimonio sisters, Anna Christine and Anna Clarice, are coming back to compete in the Merco-Selecta National Invitational Tennis Championship 2019 in Panabo City on April 24 to 27.
Merco president Anton Ferrazzini, who bared this to SunStar Davao, is upbeat since it was in 2014 that the women’s event was last included in the annual tournament that showcases top-ranked netters.
It can be recalled that Clarice, a National University (NU) Bulldogs tennis varsity team, first saw action during the Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio Cup edition of the tournament in 2012 held in Davao City where she clinched the women’s single and mixed doubles titles. She paired with Davao City’s homegrown player Ralph Kevin Barte, who was then a varsity scholar of Far Eastern University (FEU) in the mixed doubles. The latter also pocketed the men’s doubles title.
Current No. 3 Clarice, based on Unified Tennis ranking as of December 31, 2018, did not join in 2014 due to other engagements. Thus, it will be the first time that the Patrimonio sisters will compete together in women’s doubles and perhaps, play against each other in the women’s single event of the Merco-Selecta netfest.
Ferrazzini said it’s been awhile that tennis fans in the region are clamoring to bring back the women’s division. Indeed, the women’s event is also a crowd drawer like the men’s category.
Current No. 1 Marian Jade Capadocia is also joining the elite cast along with No. 4 Khim Iglupas, No. 7 former Sta. National High School standout Shaira Hope Rivera, Allysa Mae Bornia, Mary Aubrey Calma and Davao City’s Danna Abad.
“There will be eight players each for men and women categories but we are still looking for three more male players to complete the men’s roster,” Ferrazzini said, adding that current men’s No. 2 Johnny Arcilla, No. 5 Fritz Verdad, No. 13 Leander Lazaro and Davao City’s John Jeric Accion and Mark Anthony Alcoseba already confirmed to participate.