JEDDAH, 1 February — The writing on the wall starts guessing who’s the toughest of them all among the seeded teams lined up in the race for top honors as the Malaysia Airlines Team Tennis Challenge takes off today at the Albilad Tennis Courts at 5:00 p.m. under the control and stewardship of ASTEC (Association of Tennis Clubs in Jeddah). It’s hard to say who’s who for the semifinal round as the chances are thrown wide open with the entries of at least four new teams in each category having new promising recruits and pitted against decimated ex-champions and other title-contender teams.
Twenty-three teams in Category C troop to face the challenge tonight, another twelve teams in Category B2 and at least six in the Joint Category B1B join the tourney. All teams in each category are to play five-double matches, grouped for a round-robin elimination. Then, quarterfinal rounds precede semifinals in categories C and B2, while semifinal round follows next after the elimination games in category B1B.
TetraPak (formerly Hidada team) is crowded with hard opposition in Group-1 Category C against the come-backing Jafforms team, now called KFNB team, with PSME and a brand new SG-Lipton team posing a threat. Saudi Oger renews its rivalry with SPTC-C in Group-2 of same category with Balubaid and NCB lurking on the sideline. In Group-3, Express Point (the champion of recently concluded AFTPA Year-end Tournament) is in a precarious situation with four title-hungry teams ready to put up a gaming fray: JPTC, Garuda, TPST and rising Skab2/SWCC team. Group-4 does not make KAIA1 a cinch either, as the LG Cup Champion may find itself a sitting duck for three other stalwart teams - Skab1 (the reigning BBS Champion), RPA, and the Malaysia Airlines Team C.
It is going to be close encounters in Category B2 Group1 as NCB and APO, both seeded 1 and 2 respectively, found themselves in the pit with a feisty Saudi Oger team, Express Point, TPST, and the underrated Malaysia Airlines Team B2 who may pull a surprise. Group2 may be a toss-up for BCJ, Pogmatch, SPTC, JPTC and KFNB, with the unpredictable Skab team in wait-and-see stance.
An interesting guessing game looms in the joint category B1B as the protagonist teams are fitted with three Class B players (one is reserve) to reinforce a-so-so B1 teams - an idea the organizers mulled to stir closer competition and to decimate the proliferation of long-dominating B1 teams such as KAIA (temporarily adopted as Malaysia Airlines team), APO, and Areen (now Elaf Travel). With B1-reinforcement, a newcomer SGNCS-Aramex is already making its presence felt with the inclusion in its line-up a former formidable B1 player in Anthony Pangalilingan, who is back in harness after a self-imposed 2-year absence from the local circuit. Skab team is the underdog, but capable of shackling the favorites with youthful Jimboy Jimena and a surprise B player in their crew.
Total forty-one teams troop in a parade preceding the opening ceremony. Leading the charge of club brigades is the Skab Tennis Club with five teams followed by Malaysia Airlines with three.
Most notable among the new contingents of the two teams that are co-managed by Albert Reyes and the energetic L. Moreno of the Sierra Homes Compound.
Special awards await for the best uniformed team per category, the best mascot and the best muse. A special lucky draw open for the players and spectators will be conducted for a special prize of one roundtrip ticket Jeddah-Manila-Jeddah (compliment of Malaysia Airlines). Complimentary prizes from Albilad Hotel are also up for the lucky draw.
The much-awaited feature match between Manny Valleramos and Robert Saavedra follows immediately after the ceremony. The two prominent Filipino tennis pundits take the center court in contrasting class - one a master of finesse style of play, and the other an epitome of all-out-go aggressive style. Manny Valleramos, the finesse player, took to the court once more as a favorite and put to test his multi-dimensional tennis career that helped span the golden era of Philippine tennis in the 80’s being a Davis Cupper and No. 700 in ATP world-ranking. Robert Saavedra, who left the kingdom for Philippines repatriation in 1999 at the highest point of his tennis career and just settled back in Jeddah, is itching for a revenge from a loss he had against Valleramos a couple of years back. The lesser-rated Saavedra, champion of the two most prestigious Jeddah tennis tournaments in 1997 (Lacoste Open and Perrier Open), is determined to pull the victory carpet this time.
Malaysia Airlines is the principal sponsor of this tournament, with the following as co-sponsors: SDD First Net, Albilad Hotel, AlZouman Cargo & Swatch Co., ABS-CBN TFC, and Sports Planet.
