Pantino snatches Gentry Open crown

Arthur Craig Pantino clawed his way back from the brink of defeat to stun top seed AJ Lim in a dramatic finale to the Gentry National Tennis Open Championship, scoring a gutsy 2-6, 5-7, 6-4, 3-1(ret.) victory Sunday at the Colegio San Agustin courts in San Jose del Monte Bulacan.

Pantino’s triumph was as much a testament to his grit as it was a story of endurance. Facing a red-hot Lim, who entered the finals on a dominant run and had previously defeated him in the quarterfinals of the recent PCA Open, Pantino refused to fold, digging deep after falling behind two sets and weathering the storm against the favored champion.

The win capped a resilient week for Pantino, who earlier dispatched No. 7 seed Nilo Ledama, 6-4, 6-1, in the quarterfinals, then rallied from a set down to upend second seed Eric Jed Olivarez, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the semis.

One of only two “special exempt” players in the P2-million tournament, Pantino earned the top prize of P300,000 in the event presented by Great Wall Motor Philippines and supported by Gentry Timepieces through Hayb Anzures.

Lim, who had stormed through his own draw with dominant wins over Thai ace Tanakorn Srirat, 6-1, 6-2, and ninth-ranked Charles Kinaadman, 6-4, 7-6(3]), looked poised for another title before fatigue and cramps curtailed his challenge.

The final began with Lim in blistering form, racing through the first five games of the opening set before closing it out 6-2.

Pantino bounced back in the second, surging to a 4-2 lead with aggressive baseline play and sharper returns. But Lim, showing why he’s considered one of the country’s premier players, rattled off three straight games, then closed out the set in a tense 11th game before breaking serve again to seize a commanding two-set advantage.