Ateneo de Manila University advanced to its fourth straight UAAP Collegiate Men’s Table Tennis Finals appearance, fending off Far Eastern University\u2019s Cinderella run, 3-2, in the Season 88 Stepladder Semifinals on Thursday at the Amoranto Sports Arena in Diliman, Quezon City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Graduating senior Wrency Abad steered the Blue Eagles into another championship showdown against the reigning five-time champions, University of Santo Tomas Tiger Paddlers, with an 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 sweep of Dane Piala in the deciding singles match in this tournament backed by Huaching Foundation and Topcoms Marketing Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAng mindset ko lang is magtiwala sa teammates na kahit umabot pa sa likod, sa \u2018kin, handa akong makipaglaban kahit anong mangyari. Kasi nga, this is a \u2018one big fight\u2019 for Ateneo,\u201d said the 22-year-old from Ilocos Sur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FEU and Ateneo traded victories in the semifinal, with Tamaraw Peter Shean Cubio and Blue Eagle Andree Garcia splitting the first two singles matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cubio defeated Mahendra Cabrido, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, while Garcia bested Christian Golez, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rookies CJ Yamson and Gabriel Docto put Ateneo in the lead with a 11-4, 12-10, 11-8 win over Claer Riego and Louis Sacay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Renz De Guzman leveled the match with an 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 sweep of Andrew Uy, setting the stage for Abad\u2019s heroics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FEU, which started the season with a 3-0 record, struggled to a 5-7 finish in the elimination round but regained form in the playoffs, scoring three straight victories against University of the Philippines (3-1), De La Salle University (3-2), and Adamson University (3-0) to claim the bronze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cubio opened FEU\u2019s playoff run by denying Dirk Odian of the Fighting Maroons, 12-10, 8-11, 17-19, 15-13, 11-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UP\u2019s Luigi De Asis drew first blood with an 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7 win over Piala, though it would be the team\u2019s last victory in the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Golez followed with an 11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9 win over Harvey Nieva, while Riego and Sacay put FEU ahead with a 10-12, 8-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-9 reverse sweep of Mark Aguilar and Benzdio Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De Guzman then secured the decisive win against DLSU, 11-4, 12-10, 11-8 over Kurt Villacruel, preventing a reverse sweep in the team match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tamaraws opened a 2-0 lead with Cubio and Golez defeating Dino Marcelo (11-9, 11-6, 11-6) and Red Torres (11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 13-15, 11-6), but Ateneo responded in the next two matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joseph Noriega Jr. and Peter Angelo Zambrano beat Riego and Darwin Yunson, 11-4, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8, while Reyan Reg forced the decider with a win over Piala, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Against Adamson, Cubio and Golez secured wins over Amiel John Aroma (11-9, 11-5, 11-8) and Manuel Apura Jr. (11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5). Riego sealed the podium finish with a 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 victory over Jhon Balucos and Aldrean Gacho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, reigning collegiate women’s champion UST kept its hopes of defending the crown alive with a 3-2 win over rivals DLSU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rookie Kaye Manada turned back Shyrein Redoquerio, 13-15, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 in the deciding singles match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lady Tiger Paddlers recovered from a 1-2 deficit as Lady Green Paddlers Angel Laude and the doubles pair of Cello Caoile and Sharina Mendoza negated Kaye Encarnacion\u2019s opening win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Encarnacion had initially given UST the lead with an 11-7, 17-15, 11-9 sweep of Kyle Cielo Bernaldez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Laude quickly defeated Janna Mae Paculba, 11-5, 11-8, 11-2, while Caoile and Mendoza outlasted Samantha Bandojo and Jaylyn Valencia, 11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year\u2019s Rookie-MVP Althea Gudes leveled the contest with an 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 win over Lillian Ebora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lady Green Paddlers ended the season with the bronze after a 3-1 finish over the Blue Eagles in the first round of the stepladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bernaldez secured the podium with an 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 win over Andrea Deondo, despite a setback in the doubles match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ebora stunned Jelaine Monteclaro, 12-10, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9, and Laude finished off Elira Therese Docto, 11-1, 11-4, 11-8, giving DLSU a 2-0 cushion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ateneo de Manila University advanced to its fourth straight UAAP Collegiate Men’s Table Tennis Finals appearance, fending off Far Eastern University\u2019s Cinderella run, 3-2, in the Season 88 Stepladder Semifinals on Thursday at the Amoranto Sports Arena in Diliman, Quezon City. Graduating senior Wrency Abad steered the Blue Eagles into another championship showdown against the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[370],"class_list":["post-4171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-uaap-table-tennis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t