By MARK REY MONTEJO
AJ Lim lived up to his lofty billing once again as the country’s No. 1 netter turned ruled the maiden 2026 Philta Men’s Open at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila last weekend.
The 26-year-old Lim capped his dominance with a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win over perennial rival Eric Jed Olivarez Jr. in the finals.
Lim, already a proud winner of 4 PCA Open titles, completed a golden double as he teamed up with Olivarez to beat Iggy Pantino and Noel Damian, 6-3, 4-6, 11-9.
Lim’s twin victory earned him 2,000 points plus the P350,000 purse for his singles triumph. He shared the P80,000 prize with Olivarez.
Olivarez settled for 750 points and a singles’ runner-up purse of P175,000.
Prior to his title win, Lim overcame tough assignments, beating Pantino, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarterfinal, before notching a 6-1, 6-4 semis victory against national team multi-medalist Francis Casey Alcantara.
