Southeast Asian Games-bound Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, and Dij Rodriguez and Dzi Gervacio barged into the semifinals after sweeping their respective quarterfinals foes in the 2019 Rebisco Beach Volleyball International Open at the Sands SM By The Bay Saturday.
Rondina and Pons topped Kasim Bundit University-Thailand 1’s Pawarun Chanthawichai and Mukdao Suchamnong, 21-16, 21-12, while Rodriguez and Gervacio scored a 21-14, 21-11 win over KBU Thailand 2’s
Paweena Wong-Aksorn and Duanpen Arsa, as the top Philippine pairs live up to their billing.
Rondina and Pons, and Rodriguez and Gervacio will go up against international teams in the semifinals of the tournament presented by Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., in cooperation with Beach Volleyball Republic.
Hong Kong’s Yeung Wai Yan and Koo Yung Yung turned back of DM Demontaño and Jackie Estoquia of Sta. Lucia, 21-14, 21-15, while New Zealand Renei Ursem and Olivia Macdonald nipped Filipinas Mer Jauculan and Gen Eslapor, 21-17, 10-21, 15-12.
Rondina and Pons will play Yan and Yung, while Rodriguez and Gervacio will take on Ursem and Macdonald in the other pairing.
In the men’s quarterfinals Sunday morning, Edmar Bonono and Jude Garcia, the Philippines’ top men’s players, made short work of Hong Kong 1’s Kenneth Yun and Matthew Wang 21-10, 21-16, to become the first semifinalist.
Former UAAP champions KR Guzman and Jaron Requinton bested the Philippines’ second team of Krung Arbasto and James Buytrago, 21-18, 14-21, 15-7, to set up an all-Filipino semis duel with Bonono and Garcia.
Doc Mai Mingn-Thailand 2’s Chaiphichit Khongin and Chairat Hanrasa became the last men’s international pair standing after sweeping the Filipino pair of Pemie Bagalay and Pol Salvador, 21-14, 21-14.
Efraim Dimaculangan and newly-minted UAAP MVP Rancel Varga then beat Kam Lung Chui of Hong Kong and Brian Nordberg of United, 21-15, 21-12, to complete the semis cast.
Dimaculangan and Varga will face Khongin and Hanrasa in the other Final Four match-up.
The semis and the medal matches will be played late Sunday afternoon.
