JEDDAH: Powerhouse tennis clubs bid goodbye to a new era, as the finals of the 20th ASTEC Year-end 2010 Team Tennis Tournament produced champions from different clubs in the five categories at stake in the two month-long tournament played at the tennis courts of Albilad Hotel & Sheraton Hotel in Corniche here. The NCB Netters drew first blood by edging a tough Jeddah Ranao Tennic Club (JRTC) for the Middle Mix crown in five sets via 8–5, 8–7 (7-3), 1-8, 2-8, 8-2. NCB's Dennis Miralles and Sohail Al-Hafez broke JRTC's Maarouf Pantaran and Al Manarundong in the fourth game to lead 3-1 and never looked back to finish at 8-5 in the first set, while the tandem of Eric Diaz and Rhill Macapagal proved steadier against Abdullah Sani and Sajidkhan Usman JRTC in the second set tie-breaker to set the kill for NCB at 2-0. A never-say-die JRTC kept its glimmering hopes alive as the pair of Wowie Repaso and Acmad Sani stamped their class over Ricky Mediavillo and Winston Tadeo in the third set, while the Jimmy and Abdulrahman Usman overwhelmed Loi Escabusa and Hani Abul Olaat 8-2 in the fourth canto to even the count at two sets apiece. In the nerve-wracking decider, Jo Bao and Leo Casino capitalized a daunting 7-0 advantage against JRTC's Kim Guro and Tuffs Laguindab to deliver the title for NCB with the final score at 8–2. In Category B2, Lebra-Ed demolished team Jollibee 3 in four sets to lift the cup, as Neil Pulan and Celso Abella stunned the highly-touted pair of Jotham Matin-ao and Carmelo Neri of Jollibe 3 at 8-6 in the opening set. Lebra-Ed set the kill as Bonnie Zafra retired and conceded the second set in the first singles match after erecting a two-set buffer against Yunis Abdullah, but Lebra-Ed failed to produce a pair in the third set for a default setback. Teenage Omar Fahmi Ahmed, came to the rescue and proved his tennis pedigree by routing Wajdi Bukhari to win the fourth set and the championship for Lebra-Ed with a convincing score of 8–3. Trailing by 2 sets, SETE came out blazing from the third set to complete a spectacular come-from- behind triumph against JRTC 2 in a down-the-wire finish for the Category C diadem. JRTC 2 blitzed the first two sets as Anuar Laguindab and Hassan Attas dominated Anton Torres and Menard Villena (8-4), while Ali Abbas whipped Tony Antonio in the first singles (8-3). SETE clawed back to the contest, as Jay Laureano and Dennis Cruz battered Faisal Lantong and Alex Modi into submission in the third set with an 8-4 tally, but Jun Catangcatang scraped past Ayman Abdul Latif (8-6) in the second singles for the equalizer. In the deciding set, both pairs held serve until the JRTC 2 duo of Nash Mangotara and Jed Alonto broke SETE on the 8th game and raked a commanding 6-3 advantage, but SETE's Remy Linguaje and Joel Faustino regrouped to wrest the lead at 7-6. JRTC 2 leveled the count at 7 games apiece but lost steam in the tie-breaker to yield the championship to SETE with the final score of 8-7 (7-3). Team Mazda 1-JIS overran Jeddah-Based Tennis Players (JBTP) in four sets to bag the Category B1 crown, as Cesar Panti and Eloy Marcelo shoved Dominic Dadal and Lito Reyes in the first set to place Mazda1 upfront. But JBTP stayed abreast on Rad Montero's drubbing of Sanny Valencia in the first singles. Mazda1 grabbed the driver's seat as Tim San Gabriel and Dennis Cruz zoomed ahead in the third set by outplaying Mhedz Mabang and Ricky Mediavillo with a convincing 8-3 score. At the fourth canto, Rey Lacsina clipped Gerry Aguila's wings as they battled through protracted rallies to secure the crown for team Mazda1-JIS at 8–4. Jollibee closed the curtain on the finals stage with sister teams fighting it out for the Lower Mix championship trophy. Jollibee 6 took the initiative on Carmelo Neri and Jun Quiano's squeaker against Winston Tadeo and Noel Miguel as Jollibee 5 equalized through Zaldy Ramos and Arthur Pascual's narrow victory over Edcel Milanes and Duncan but yielded the third set by default. Playing one set down, the Jollibe 5 duo of Ramzi Ali & Housam I-Basha, dominated the pair of Jack Walsh and Rey Villaraza to arrange a fifth set winner-take-all. At crunch time, the solid game of Glen Plaza and Dante De Claro 5 crumbled under relentless attack from Vic Alvaran's steady power ground strokes, complimented by Agot delas Alas' well-timed smash and volley winners along the net, placing the underrated Jollibee 6 claim on the Lower Mix title with the final score 8-6, 5-8, 8-0, 4-8, 8-6. This year-end team tennis tournament was organized and managed by the Association of Tennis Clubs (ASTEC) in Jeddah under the leadership of incumbent chairman Yahyah Baustista, with the support from sponsors Royal Brunei Airways, Prince Deltaz, SADAFCO and Skyfreight Cargo Forwarders and Kulay Group. __
