PH beach belles, papalo sa BVR Int’l Final 4
SANTA ANA, Cagayan – Pinangunahan nina Lot Catubag at Karen Quilario ng Davao ang Team Philippines sa semifinals ng Beach Volleyball Republic International Santa Ana Open nitong Sabado sa CEZA beach sand ground dito.
Ginapi nina Catubag at Quilario, reigning BVR women's national champions, ang tambalan nina Chan Mei Kit at Yip Wai Yan ng Hong Kong, 21-10, 21-13, bago dinispatsa sina DM Demontaño at Jackie Estoquia ng Iloilo, 21-13, 21-19, para makuha ang liderato sa Group B.
Umusad din sa semis ang tambalan nina Therese Ramas at DJ Gutierrez ng Harbor Pilot-Cebu, gayundin ang pakner nina Charo Soriano at Bea Tan ng Tuguegarao.
Magaan na ginapi nina Ramas at Gutierrez sina MJ Ebro at Ivana Agudo ng Far Eastern University, 21-7, 21-11, habang kumasa laban kina Singapore's Tin Lai Ng at Tan Shiang Theng, 21-15, 21-13.
Pakitang-gilas naman sina Soriano at Tan kontra kina Ng at Theng, 22-20, 21-15, at Ebro at Agudo, 21-14, 21-16.
Makakaharp nina Soriano at Tan sina Ramas at Gutierrez ngayong umaga, habang paglalaban nina Demontaño at Estoquia kontra Singapore Merlion's Kelly Yuen at Huang Zihui ang nalalabing semis slots.
Sa men's division, naitala nina Czech Republic's Dominik Samen at Martin Samec ang dalawang sunod na panalo.
Nagwagi sina Samen at Samec kina Bacolod's Ralph Sevillano at Simon Aguillon, 21-18, 18-21, 15-6, gayundin kina Singapore's Kam Lung Chui at Itabashi, 21-15, 16-21, 15-7.
Umusad naman ang Pinoy team nina Jade Becaldo at Calvin Sarte ng Ato ni Bai at University of the Visayas' Kevin Juban at Raphy Abanto.
Naungusan nina Becaldo at Sarte, BVR men's titleholders, sina Jeremiah Barrica at Kevin Hadlocon ng FEU, 2725, 25-21, habang nagwagi sina Juban at Abanto kina Chui at Itabashi, 21-17, 21-12.
Gaganapin ang gold at bronze medal match ngayon. Kabuuang US$19,000 ang nakataya sa torneo, tampok ang US$3,500 sa men's at women’s champions.