Manila: Davis Cupper Arthur Craig Pantino received a wild card Thursday in the 42nd Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open Tennis Championships, which kicks off this weekend at the PCA indoor shell court in Paco, Manila. The other wild cards are locals Miguel Lagac, Rap Teng, Al Zayeed Baid, Christian Balang, Raymond Padigos, and Tanakorn Srirat of Thailand.
According to Philippines News Agency, Pantino, born and raised in Cebu, is a member of the team that defeated Kyrgyzstan, 2-0, in the Asia Oceania Group IV playoff in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last July to gain one of two promotional spots to Group III of the Davis Cup. His teammates are Albert Lim Jr., Eric "Jed" Olivarez, Francis Casey Alcantara, and Ruben Gonzales.
Lim won the PCA Open singles title last year, beating Olivarez, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, in the final. "I'm not expecting at the PCA Open. I just want to enjoy and we'll see how it goes," said the 24-year-old Pantino, a sociology graduate from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. The qualifying round is ongoing with eight players moving to the 64-man main draw.
Lim and Angeline Alcala are the reigning mixed doubles champions, pulling off a 6-2, 6-3 win over Rolly Saga and Joanna Tan. Marian Capadocia downed Khim Iglupas, 6-2, 6-4, to claim her 10th consecutive singles crown. The women's doubles title went to Rovie Baulate and Elsie Abarquez, who prevailed over Bambi Zoleta and Aileen Rogan, 6-3, 6-2.
