Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons humbled Hong Kong’s Au Yeung Wai Yan and Koo Yung Yung, 21-17, 21-18, as the top Philippine women’s pair survived its biggest test in the 2019 Rebisco Beach Volleyball International Open at the Sands SM By The Bay Saturday.
Pons delivered the match-clinching kill after the visitors saved a set point to help Rondina complete a three-game sweep of Pool A matches. The Filipina tandem also formally clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament presented by Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., in cooperation with Beach Volleyball Republic.
On Friday, the Southeast Asian Games-bound Rondina and Pons came through with a 21-10, 21-9 romp of Kasem Bundit University of Thailand 2’s Paweena Wong-Aksorn and Duanpen Arsa.
The other Philippine team for the SEA Games, Dij Rodriguez and Dzi Gervacio, also swept its Pool B assignments with a 21-18, 21-16 decision over New Zealand’s Renei Ursem and Olivia MacDonald. Rodriguez and Gervacio made short work of DM Demontaño and Jackie Estoquia of Sta. Lucia, 21-7, 21-9, Friday night.
The women’s quarterfinals will be held Saturday evening. The semifinals and medal matches will be played Sunday afternoon.
Edmar Bonono and Jude Garcia, the Philippines’ top men’s players, topped Pool A with a 21-16, 22-20 win over Hong Kong’s Kam Lung Chui and United States’ Brian Nordberg.
Bonono and Garcia went perfect in two matches and advanced in the quarters of the competition supported by Rebisco, and backed by Liberty Insurance, Glorious Blend and Globe Telecom.
The country’s other bet to the SEA Games, James Buytrago and Krung Arbasto, made it to already to the next phase after also going 2-0 in Pool A.
Other Filipinos shone as newly-minted UAAP MVP Rancel Varga and Efraim Dimaculangan beat STT-Thailand’s Attaporn Nantarat and Werathep Chaichana, 21-13, 21-14; and Hong Kong 1’s Wong Ka Yun and Tse Kin Wang, 21-19, 21-8, for a 2-0 record in Pool D.
Jaron Requinton and KR Guzman bested DMM-Thailand Chaiphichit Khongin and Chairat Hanrasa; and Hong Kong 2’s Cheung Chek Hong Henry and Li Chun Kit, 21-9, 21-17.
The men’s quarterfinals will be held Sunday, while the semifinals and medal matches will be played later in the afternoon.
