filled action continued in the penultimate phase of the 1st Al-Baik Tennis Challenge 2009, with unheralded Elaf Group Tennis Club, launching its twin-bid to go into the finals of the Mixed (C/B2) Category, at the tennis courts of Al-Bilad Hotel. Playing under the banner of Elaf Jeddah Hotel, the tandem of Eddie Belen and Alain Arriesgado surprised the favored pair of Shelter-Simpex Rad Intero and Ranel Acasio in the first set, after a see-saw encounter in which no serve was broken until the 12th game, giving the edge 7-5 to Elaf. Simpex pair took the next two games to bring the set to a tie-breaker, but Ed and Alain made sure that they could not catch up to take the first set 8-7 (7-3). In the second-set Elaf's best doubles pair winner Allan Arriesgado and Jimmy Usman gave no chance to opponents Bennie Oandasan and Joel Quimpo after the pair immediately surged to 6-1 and finally closing the set 8-2, to give Elaf a huge lead of 2-0 in the best-of-five tussle. Simpex bounced back to claim the third set with the consistent game play of Benny Lazarte and Jupiter Catacata beating Edwin Hallasgo and Rhill Macapagal, 8-4. Hoping to force a deciding fifth game, Shelter's Lito Mosquera and Ramon Monterde fought for every point but eventually lost to the better pair of Elaf's veteran Noel de Guzman and Casto Ingente. Elaf Team-B won the match 3-1 and clinched the first final slot in Category Mix. In the other semifinals, Elaf's Team A, however, did not succeed in duplicating the feat of its Team B, when it lost 1-3 against the highly-favored SCTC-Saudia City Tennis Club. Elaf's Jun Atienza and Anton Torres lost the first set 2-8 against the SCTC's strongest pair of Sol Bartolome and Ernie Hayahay. Elaf's was hoping to capture the second set with its erstwhile unbeatable pair of veteran Ruben Alzate and youthful Carlo Guese, but it seemed they could not match the energy shown by the tandem of SCTC's Henry Siazon and Ghiath Wafai, who took the second set 8-3. Elaf took the third set 8-0 with Malik Mayo and Faiz Amil, but SCTC bounced back in the 4th set to seal a place in the final with Ghassan Khafaju and Francis Balde beating Elaf's Barra Usman and Remy Linguaje, 8-6. It will therefore be a match-up between Elaf Team B against SCTC in the final of Category Mix. This tournament, organized by ASTEC – the Association of Tennis Clubs in Jeddah, is primarily sponsored by Al-Baik Chicken and co-sponsored by Deltaz Marketing (Prince Racquets and Balls), Skyfreight Forwarders and TFC. __
