Safarova, Babos cruise into Quebec semis
Still undefeated in eight games, the Baby Lancers are expected to go all-out for the feat they have never achieved for over a decade now, more so that it carries a very enticing incentive package this time.
Under the new league format, the team that scores a sweep in the classification stage will automatically qualify for the championship round.
The No.3 and No.4 ranked teams will play a knockout game for the right to face the No.2 qualifier, which enjoys a twice-to-beat advantage. The winner will then go up against the team that sweeps the elimination in the best-of-three finals.
Made to labor hard before eking out a close 6461 decision against the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons during their previous game, the Baby Lancers remain the heavy favorites but they must be wary against the Junior Webmasters, who will surely give their best shot to pull an upset and keep their Top 4 bid alive.
Carrying a 4-3 win-loss record, the Junior Webmasters can't afford to absorb another defeat as it would dampen their semifinal chances. They are currently locked up in a tight race for the fourth and last seat into the round of four with the CEC Dragons and the University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warriors, both with 3-4 cards.
In the opener at 1 p.m., four-time defending champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles hope to end their elimination round campaign with a bang when they take on the CEC Dragons.
Regardless of the outcome though, the Magis Eagles, are already ensured of the second spot going into the next phase of the twomonth joust with a 7-1 winloss record at hand.
In the collegiate division games, the 6-3 University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors seek payback against the 4-2 University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars in their 4 p.m. collision, while the 1-7 Cebu Institute of TechnologyUniversity (CIT-U) Wildcats target the same against the 2-5 Southwestern University-Phinma (SWU) Cobras in the main match at 5:30 p.m.
MONTREAL— Topseeded Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic will meet third-seeded Timea Babos of Hungary in the semifinals of the WTA tournament at Quebec City after both won in straight sets on Friday.
Safarova lost the first three games of her quarterfinal clash with compatriot Lucie Hradecka but rallied for a 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Hradecka, who is ranked 166th, pushed hard in the second set, but despite leading 5-4 she couldn't find the crucial service break and Safarova won the last three games.
Babos dashed the hopes of a partisan crowd with her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Canadian Francoise Abanda, firing seven aces in a match lasting one hour and 11 minutes.
The other semifinal will pit fourth-seeded Tatjana Maria of Germany against seventh-seeded Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium.
Maria eliminated American Sachia Vickery 61, 6-3 while Van Uytvanck needed just 65 minutes to oust qualifier Caroline Dolehide of the United States 6-2, 6-2.