DJ Auto Parts escaped a fourth set surge by JRTC-Tuffs to win by a single point and book a finals slot in category B2 opposite RSTP-Adnan which eliminated team SSS Black Tigers also via points, while in category C Reem Riviera Resort-Uricane faces RPM-Renegades for the crown as the 5th ALBAIK Tennis Tournament 2013 enters the championship rounds at the Trio Ranch tennis courts.

It was even-steven after two sets as DJ Auto Parts took the first set with Marlon Ordono and Carlo Guese winning 8-3 against Jimmy Usman and Noor Hadji Halil, while JRTC controlled the second set with Lao and Sammy Macapaar’s 8-3 win against Jun Ordonez and Noor Panizales. Continuing to the third set, JRTC’s Noroden and Tuffs Laguindab held on to win 8-5 against Prince Narra and Romeo Espino to post a 2-1 set and three points lead. Staring at defeat, DJ Auto’s fate was at the hands of Amin and Ben Consolacion who gamely delivered to post an 8-4 win against Daud Mua and Raj Pumbaya to tie the set at 2-2 and win by a hairline point for their ticket to the championship.

It was almost the same story for Red Sea Tennis Players’ RSTP-Adnan as it took the first set with Yul and Saeid Saleh’s 8-1 win over Yahya Maloouf and Mohd Ghamdi to draw first blood. But SSS Black Tigers countered in the second set with Yousef and Tareq’s 8-4 win against Mazen and Marlon D. to tie 1-1. Jonathan Contreras and Zaldy Ramos held on at tie-break for an 8-7 win over Saleh Salem and Saeed Ghamdi to put RSTP ahead 2-1 with four points lead.

In the fourth set, Champ and Vic Alvaran scored the needed five points against Saeed Fadel and Wael Harbi to put RSTP-Adnan at 25 points, enough to secure the victory for the team and a date with DJ Auto for the championship match in category B2.

In category C, defending champion Reem Riviera Resort-Uricane defeated the fighting Zuhair Fayez Partnership by just a point at 25-24 after ending the four sets in a 2-2 tie to claim the first slot in the finals round.

RPM-Renegades disposed of Hidada-1 with a 3-1 score to set their championship date with Uricane.

In other championship round pairings, category B1 will be between RPM-Renegades against RSTP, category MMX will be a toss-up between Zuhair Fayez Partnership against RSTP-Tennis Pro and in the HMX category, JRTC-Benji will pit skills against another RSTP contingent.

Category LMX semifinals matches were delayed because Al Bilad Hotel stopped them on their tennis courts and demanded a hundred percent increase on fees for the remaining matches which prompted the organizers to move the remaining matches and championship rounds at the more suitable and bigger venue of Trio Ranch. Semifinal matches for category LMX will be ABTC against RSTP in the upper draw and Azizeyah versus Reem Riviera-Uricane in the lower draw.

Organized by Association of Tennis Clubs in Jeddah (Astec) under the helm of its chairman Francis Idjao Jr. and Tournament Director Tonton Pana, this 26th Astec team tennis tournament is presented in partnership with ALBAIK Food Systems Co. Ltd. represented by Bassam Al-Seyofi (PR-manager), Mahmoud Al-Jaber (marketing coordinator) and Ed Cabiedes (branch manager) and is supported by Deltaz Marketing (Racquet Shop) courtesy of Tony Kassis, Maher Tebakhi and Amin Malik. Also providing support is Sky Freight Forwarders, TFC The Filipino Channel and Pepsi Bugshan.