By Jerome lagunzad
The country’s remaining title hopes in the 2018 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open vanished into thin air yesterday as Sisi Rondina and Dzi Gervacio suffered a painful 21-13, 17-21, 15-11 loss to Japanese duo Tanaka Shinako and Fujii Sakorako in the quarterfinals.
The Filipina pair gave it their all as they recovered from a slow start and pushed the favored Japanese rivals to their limit, only to run out of steam much to the dismay of local crowd at SM Sands by The Bay.
The exit of Rondina and Gervacio in this one-star tourney that dangles $10,000 put an end to the country’s bid after four males and two other females got the boot last Friday.
Earlier in the day, two-time Beach Volleyball Republic champion Lourdilyn Catubag and Karen Quilario made a gallant stand but still lost to Thai teenage pair of Thatsarida Singchuea and Pawarun Chanthawichai, 34-36, 25-23, 17-15.
Rondina, a three-time UAAP beach volleyball champion from University of Santo Tomas, and Gervacio crashed the Last 8 party at the expense of Canadian duo Megan Nagy and Caleigh Cruickshank, 21-17, 21-17.
“We won’t let our countrymen get disappointed since they woke up early just to see us play,” said Rondina.
Thanks to their heady plays on the offensive end, the Filipinas jumped to a quick 9-3 lead and pushed the Canadians out of their comfort zone, with Nagy even incurring a crucial service error for an anti-climactic ending in the opening set.
The Canadians, however, appeared determined in the second set where they even held a slim 11-10 edge. But the Filipinas answered right back with a decisive 8-3 run before they showed poise in another thrilling finish.
“I didn’t expect that we can make it this far. Personally, I haven’t played international and I know for a fact that we’re facing taller rivals,” said Gervacio, a member of Ateneo’s so-called “Fab Five.”
Catubag and Quilario, who twice ruled the Beach Volley Republic national tournament, pushed their Thai counterparts to the limit early on and even put themselves at match-point at 23-22, only to crumble under duress.
