Under the bright lights of the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, AJ Lim didn’t just win a title – he reaffirmed his place atop Philippine tennis.
Drawing on grit forged through injuries and illness, Lim outlasted perennial rival Eric Jed Olivarez, 6-3, 7-5, to capture the Philta Men’s Masters Top 8 crown Sunday night and reassert his status as the country’s premier player.
The P160,000 winner’s purse was a fitting reward. But more significant was the statement victory – his nth triumph over Olivarez in Open finals – underscoring a mastery that has defined their rivalry and reminding everyone that when healthy, Lim remains the man to beat.
Olivarez, who has repeatedly pushed Lim to the brink in major finals, settled for the P80,000 runner-up prize.
Nilo Ledama claimed third place with a win over Fritz Verdad and earned P50,000 in the tournament held in honor of Rep. Eric Olivarez.
In pool play, both finalists stamped their class. Lim swept past Nilo Ledama, John Kendrick Bona and Noel Salupado, while Olivarez dominated Vicente Anasta, Joven Ronard and Verdad to secure the first two semifinal berths.
Ledama and Verdad advanced to the Final Four but fell to the superior form and big-match poise of Olivarez and Lim in the crossover matches.
For the 26-year-old, the win symbolized a full-circle comeback. Once sidelined by health setbacks that stalled his momentum, Lim has painstakingly rebuilt his game and confidence.
Under the pressure of primetime play, with every point amplified by the night air and the glare of the lights, he showed the composure and steel that once made him the youngest PCA Open champion at 16 in 2015.
Lim stormed to a 3-0 lead, only for Olivarez to claw back with three straight games of his own. But just when the momentum appeared to shift, Lim raised his level. He held serve in the seventh game, then broke Olivarez after a tense deuce battle in the eighth before sealing the set with a love hold – a finishing kick that spoke volumes about his resolve.
