JEDDAH, 27 June 2003 — With the tournament proper nearly into the homestretch, Zuhair Fayez & Partnership team headed by team captain Lito Zamudio with able support from members Julius Caringal, Freddie Dominguez, Rommel Gomez, Julius Tan, Jun Fernandez, Joey de Asis, Ed, Raul Valle, and Leo, catapulted into the next round in category B2 with a dismal 22-37 output against Group I leaders ITEC-ARCOMA, but still managed to earn enough points to make the final cut and dislodge Elaf team, who were beaten 26-33 by Titan team to gain a place in the quarterfinal round of the ongoing Seiko Team Tennis Challenge being played daily at the Al Bilad Hotel and Sheraton Hotel tennis courts.
The Elaf team commandeered by team captain Jun Atienza fell short of their life-long dream of gaining entry into the next round after putting forth a gallant effort. Both teams however will play their last match of the elimination round.
Also advancing in Group I are Titan and ASTEC/SPTC teams while SG, RR, NCB and KAIA in no particular order made the final cut in Group II. In Category C, with the final cast of the quarterfinalist still being contested, Astec team who just completed their elimination matches was showing sheer determination of making into the top spot hammered Green Farms 39-33 to put them safely into the next round.
Other teams who have so far assured themselves of the quarterfinal round in Group I are SG-Tropicana Slim and RR Batang Industrial remain on top of the Group I.
Other category C matches showing contrasting results are: NCB rolled Saudi Oger 39-21; SG-Hartz pounded ALJ-Toyota Dora 31-26; Batang Industrial pulverized Cabalen 38-27; G-Force thumped TPST/Saudi ABB 30-25; ASTEC/SPTC crushed RR 31-26; FTG bashed Saudi Oger 37-23; Al Majd trashed Bassamh-Goody 30-27; Batang Industrial pounded G-Force 35-27; Green Farms beat Tennis Starlets 38-30; RR batted SG-Tropicana Slim 33-26 while NCB demolished TPST/Saudi ABV 39-24.
In the Mixed category, APO demolished Kinetic 39-32; Saudi Oger hammered SG-Tropicana Slim 34-33; Express Point/Cabalen sent SG-Hartz packing with a 37-29 output; Saudi Oger whipped NCB 30-29; Kinetic whisked Siyanco/JPTC 38-20; Kinetic overwhelmed Express Point-Cabalen 35-29; Meanwhile, in the sole BB+ Category match, SG-Hartz was all pumped up in dismissing Hempel Paints-Jaspers.
In the first doubles, Ronnie Belga and Ferdie Gaviola, after losing the first two games, recovered and controlled the game thereafter and came up demolishing the Hempel tandem of Ibrahim Ashraf and Issa Mamdouh 8-5. Marcial Barro and Bobby Esquivel followed suit with an upset win against Popoy Macaampao and Benjie Usman 8-6 to take a 16-11 games lead.
Bong Andales and Lito Dumas saved Hempel Paints-Jasper from further embarrassment as they prevailed against Danny Aguinaldo and Gil Baylon in a tense tie-breaker before winning 8-7 (7-3) for a 23-19 games total in favor of SG-Hartz.
