University of Santo Tomas Claims 17th UAAP Men’s Tennis Title with Game 3 Victory Over UP

University of Santo Tomas (UST) completed its triumphant return to the top of UAAP Men’s Tennis, defeating the University of the Philippines (UP), 3-1, in Game 3 of the Season 88 Finals on Sunday at the Colegio San Agustin-Bulacan Tennis Court.

Richard Bautista and Nash Agustines sealed the championship for the Male Tennisters with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Miguel Iglupas and Raymund Goco in the first doubles match, clinching UST’s 17th overall title.

“Sobrang sarap nung feeling kasi alam nung team kung gaano namin pinaghirapan 'tong season na 'to. Like noong Final Four, do-or-die doon... until now Game 3. So from the start until the end... it was really hard to win the championship pero nakakaproud na rin sa team kasi 'di sila nag-give up,” said UST head coach Alexander Diego. "So I think their mindset and their hard work... tsaka 'yung team effort ng lahat [ang] nag-contribute sa panalo ngayon.”

“Malaking tulong 'yung Finals appearances namin for the last three years para 'yung pressure, they know how to handle kasi sanay na sila doon eh. So it's a very big help for the seniors,” he added.

UP got off to a strong start in the final match, with Loucas Fernandez delivering a dominant performance to win 6-1, 6-2 over Evan Bacalso in the second singles. This gave the Fighting Maroons the early 1-0 lead.

UST quickly responded. Christopher Sonsona tied the match with a composed 6-4, 6-1 win over Heinz Carbonilla in the first singles.

With the score tied at 1-1, UST’s Finals MVP, Ericjay Tangub, took control in the third singles, earning a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Lance Fernandez to give the Male Tennisters a 2-1 advantage and a key momentum shift.

“Blessed. 'Yun lang talaga kasi pinipray namin 'to palagi na maging champion ulit kahit nahihirapan kami kasi sinulit namin 'yung UAAP. Nag-playoffs pa kami, nag-game 3 pa kami. Deserve naman naim manalo pero grabe talaga kahirap so ang masasabi ko lang, thank you Lord, and I'm so blessed,” said Tangub after the match.

UST was in full control when the second doubles match was called off, with Steven Sonsona and Al Zayeed Baid a set up (7-6(4)) and leading 2-0 in the second set over Carl Tan and Andrei Jarata, clinching the championship.

The Male Tennisters finished the elimination round with a 9-3 record, tying for second place with National University, and went on to win a playoff to secure a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. Their journey to the Finals was challenging, as they were pushed to the limit in both of their semifinal matches before earning a return to the Finals.

Game 1 of the Finals saw UST sweep UP, 3-0, but the Fighting Maroons responded in Game 2 with a dramatic 3-2 win, forcing the winner-take-all Game 3.

University of the East’s JB Aguilar was named MVP of the tournament, while UP’s Carl Tan claimed Rookie of the Year honors.

With this victory, UST reclaimed its position as the top team in UAAP Men’s Tennis, continuing its legacy of excellence in the sport.