There are no guaranteed wins in boxing.
But going into her semifinal bout in the women’s featherweight (57kg) on Thursday at 3:46 AM (Manila time), Nesthy Petecio should like her chances of success.
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 silver medalist will be aiming for a guaranteed silver in the Paris Games when she climbs into the ring at the famed Stade Roland Garros against unheralded Julia Atena Szeremeta of Poland.
The winner of their semifinal match-up will advance to the finals against the victor of the bout between two-time world champion and two-time Asian Championships gold medalist Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei and European Championships bronze medalist Esra Yıldız of Turkey.
There is a gulf in experience between Petecio and Szeremeta, which could be the difference-maker in their fight.
The 32-year-old Petecio will be in her 108th bout when she faces the 20-year-old Szeremeta, who will be fighting for the 43rd time in her career.
Szeremeta is looking to sustain her momentum in the Paris Olympics, where she has taken out three fancied boxers.
She opened her campaign with a 4-1 triumph over world no. 14 Omailyn Alcalá of Venezuela. The young Polish fighter followed it up with two impressive wins via unanimous decision.
She eliminated second seed Tina Rahimi of Australia in the Round of 16, then took out world no. 11 Ashleyann Lozada of Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals to earn Poland its first boxing medal since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Even before the Paris Olympics, Szeremeta had been registering impressive results, sending a message to the international field that she is one of the brightest young prospects in the featherweight division.
She emerged champion of the 2023 EUBC European Under-22 Championships last November, just a month after winning the Polish Women Under-23 National Championships.
She followed up these two accomplishments with another championship in the 68th edition of the prestigious Bocskai Istvan Memorial International Boxing Tournament in Debrecen, Hungary, in January 2024.
Szeremeta has had a very packed schedule, having fought 19 times since November 2023. She won 18 of these fights – including three in the 2024 Olympic Qualifier Preliminaries held last March in Italy, earning her a berth to the Paris Olympics.
Petecio will need to match the energy of her younger foe, who is known to apply pressure from the opening bell. Szeremeta likes to move forward and stalk her opponents, probing with the occasional left jab before countering with a flurry of punches.
She has not, however, shown the ability to cut off the ring and ensnare her opponents. That could prove to be her undoing when she realizes the elite-level skills of Petecio, who is not only an Olympic silver medalist but also the gold medal winner in the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships hosted by Russia.
Petecio has been displaying vintage form in Paris, showing supremacy over her first three opponents.
Among her victims was world no. 12 and hometown bet Amina Zidani, who is the reigning European Games champion and a bronze medalist in the 2023 World Championships.
The native of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, has baffled opponents with her unpredictability.
She has varied her attacks, transitioning from a slick counterpuncher to an aggressor depending on the dynamics of the fight. She has been an elusive target and has been hitting opponents with pinpoint accuracy.
Whatever Szeremeta does well, Petecio will aim to do better.
Though older by 12 years, the Filipina southpaw is faster, both with her hands and feet. Add to that her veteran savvy, and Petecio will be the prohibitive favorite against Szeremeta in their semifinal match-up.
If she can execute as she has done in her first three fights, Petecio just might make the Olympic finals for a second straight time.
