SPTC Tennis Jamboree 2017 underway

The SPTC officers and their guests before the start of the tournament. Standing second left is Tournament Director Waymour Carmelotes. (AN photo)

JEDDAH: The Samahang Pinoy Tennis Club opened its second and midyear prime time tennis tournament in 2017 over the weekend at King Abdulaziz University sports complex on the outskirts of Jeddah.
Dubbed SPTC Tennis Jamboree, the month-long team tennis competition that ends Oct. 27 will feature innovative and fun triples match involving three players each on opposing sides, aside from the regular doubles match during the early part of the competition.
Mohammad Abdullah of KAU Maintenance & Sports Facilities delivered a brief speech before the start of the competition, expressing appreciation of the peaceful and wholesome conduct of the club’s weekly activities inside the university’s sports complex since 1992.
Sponsors of this tournament are ANB Telemoney in a tieup with PNB through Shalimar M. Salomabao, the AVP-country manager of PNB in Saudi Arabia, with Ben Hasim Salabin representing ANB and Faisal Alonto Metrobank. Also, ATP-Mon supports the tournament.
Fifty players spread into five teams with 10 players a side will compete under different divisions such as category B1/B2+, category Legend, category B2+/B2, category B2/C+, and category C/C. Trophies will be awarded to the members of champion and finalist teams as well as to the top individual performers.
In the initial team matchup, Team B blitzed past Team A, four sets to one. After losing the first set 8-7, Team B won the next four sets comfortably by 8-6, 8-5, 8-4, 8-3.
Under category B1/B2+, Waymour Carmelotes-Marlon Pagsanjan of Team B lost to Fred Masangkay-Boy Isuga of Team A in the first set. Jun Tomas-Ariel Domingo leveled up for Team B in category Legend by edging out Team A’s Bernie Soguilon-Ali Callanta in the second set. In category B2+/B2, Team B’s Roy Timtiman-JM Bravo won over Team A’s Mario Betorio-Alimodin Dipatuan. Leo Milarion-Mark Banaag defeated Nasser Cayquep/Zaldy Gabriel, and Fernan Fermin-Mashur Jamiri breezed past Sherwin Narvais-Nilo Gamba.
The tournament is run by the following SPTC officers: Ariel Domingo chairman, Roy Timtiman vice chairman for internal affairs, Mario Betorio vice chairman for external affairs, Jun Tomas vice chairman for membership development, Leo Milarion secretary, JM Bravo treasurer, Fernan Fermin auditor, Mashur Jamiri PR director, Mark Banaag business manager, and Waymour Carmelotes tournament director.