By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Top seed Johnny Arcilla and No. 3 PJ Tierro outclassed their respective rivals to lead the last 16 cast even as Joseph Victorino upended No. 9 Dheo Talatayod in the PPS-PEPP MAC’s Crankit Open Tennis Championships at the PCA courts in Paco, Manila yesterday.
Arcilla, out to atone for his Final Four exit in the recent Brookside Hills Open, came out of a first round bye and scored a 6-2, 5-2(ret.) win over Raymund Diaz to arrange a clash with Davao’s rising star John David Velez, who advanced with a 1-0(ret.) victory over Renest Sonsona.
Tierro also overpowered Neil Co, coming away with a 6-3, 6-1 romp to progress against the winner of the Jimmy Tangalin-Dave Mosqueda duel being played at presstime.
Victorino, on the other hand, provided the day’s first reversal, booting out Talatayod, 1-6, 6-4, 11-9, for a clash with No. 8 Noel Damian, who scored a walkover win over Marc Reyes in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro and the MAC’s Crankit Foundation of Australia, led by MCTA (MAC’s Crankit Tennis Academy) founder-coach Patricia Concon-Puzon.
Also advancing is No. 6 Vicente Anasta, who won by default over Matthew Garcia while second seed and Brookside Open winner Jeson Patrombon is slugging it out with Rollie Anasta at presstime along with Bryan Otico-Matt Palasan, Rodolfo Barquin-Andrew Bennett, Rolando Ruel Jr.-Jules Lazaro, Chat Conta-Gabriel Tiamson and Fritz Verdad-Eurydice Gaspar.
