San jose del monte: Defending champion National University (NU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) secured straightforward victories on Sunday, setting the stage for a crucial playoff to determine the recipient of the last twice-to-beat incentive in the UAAP Season 88 men's tennis tournament.

According to Philippines News Agency, NU achieved a clean sweep against De La Salle University with a 5-0 scoreline, while UST defeated University of the East (UE) 4-1 at the Colegio San Agustin Tennis Center. Both teams now hold 9-3 records, placing them in a tie for second place. Meanwhile, University of the Philippines (UP) extended its winning streak to seven matches by overpowering Adamson University 5-0, securing the first twice-to-beat advantage with an 11-1 record.

NU's Andrei Padao emphasized the significance of their victory, stating, "It's very important for us that we won today because UST is also fighting and running for twice-to-beat [advantage]." During the match, Padao defeated EJ Geluz 6-1, 6-0, with Alexis Acabo and Isaac Lim also contributing wins in their singles matches.

In doubles, NU's Jules Lazaro and Angil Balaoing narrowly defeated Fernando Po and Marcus Guinoo with scores of 6-3, 5-7, 11-9, while Christian Padilla and Miguel Vicencio prevailed over Rupert Tortal and Daniel Estanislao 7-6(7), 6-3. UE, finishing the eliminations in fourth place with a 7-5 record, is set to face UP in the Final Four.

The league standings show La Salle in fifth position at 4-8, followed by Adamson at 2-10. In the high school division, UE defeated Ateneo 2-1, and NU Nazareth School overcame PAREF-Southridge School 3-0, securing semifinal slots. The Junior Warriors remain undefeated with a 4-0 record, while the Bullpups improved to 3-1. De La Salle Zobel defeated UST 3-0, sharing third place with Ateneo, both at 2-2. UST fell to fourth with a 1-3 record, and PAREF ended its season without semifinal hopes at 0-4.