By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Floremel Rodriguez and Genesa Eslapor kept their medal hopes alive after barging into the women’s quarterfinals in beach volleyball at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Sunday, Sept. 24.
Rodriguez and Eslapor needed 32 minutes in besting Leong Ong Leng and Law Weng Sam of Macau, 21-15, 21-15, to inch closer to the medal round at the Ningbo Banbianshan Beach Volleyball Centre.
The Filipina duo, however, will have their hands full as they arrange a date with Japan’s Miki Ishii and Sayaka Malki, who clobbered Kazakhstan’s Alina Rachenko and Anastassiya Ukolova, 21-8, 21-7.
The men’s crew of James Buytrago and Jude Garcia, however, fell short in their bid after absorbing a stinging 21-17, 16-21, 15-6 defeat at the hands of Indonesians Mohammad Ashfiya and Bintang Akbar in their Round of 16 duel.
A triumph could have earned Buytrago and Garcia a quarters meeting with Iran’s Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab, who advanced via a 21-15 21-15 win over Thais Surin Jongklang and Dunwinit Kaewsai.
Meanwhile, Khylem Progella and Grydelle Matibag try to join Rodriguez and Eslapor into the next round as they battle Woranatchayakorn Phirachayakrailert and Charanrutwad Patcharamainaruebhorn of Thailand at press time.
