THE ATENEO Men’s Table Tennis Team (AMTTT) commenced the second round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 eliminations with a pair of wins against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons and De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Paddlers, before losing to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Paddlers. The matches were held earlier today, November 18, at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City.
These results situate the Blue Eagles at the third seed with a 6-3 win-loss record.
8:00 AM match vs. UP
Beginning with a high-octane Battle of Katipunan, the Blue and White began by calling upon the services of Mahendra Cabrido to take on the Maroon and Green’s Benzdio Florida.
Displaying veteran prowess, Cabrido came out swinging with a commanding 11-6 victory. With tensions rising, the Blue Eagle remained unfazed, firing a diverse array of shots to close out the match in three straight sets, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8.
From there, Blue Eagle Zherdel Fresco stepped up against Fighting Maroon Gabriel Nieva. A back-and-forth affair ensued, ending with Fresco notching a momentum-changing first set victory, 11-9. The savvy Atenean then never looked back, sealing two more set victories to take the second game, 11-4, 11-8.
Sealing the deal, Blue Eagles Carlos Docto and first-year sensation Emmanuel Yanson paired up to take on Fighting Maroons Manuel Aguilar and Luis De Asis. Synchronizing senior experience with rookie flame, the Katipunan-based squad ran away with the victory in set one, 11-5. Coming off the win, a decisive second set victory ultimately set the precedent for an emphatic three set finish, 11-5, 13-11, 11-8.
10:30 AM match vs. UST
Despite an impressive 3-0 match result against UP, Cabrido saw a sluggish start against UST veteran Paul Antivo to open the first bout, 7-11. Standing his ground against the Tiger Paddler, the senior committed less blunders in the next three sets to decisively nab the first singles win, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8.
From the outset of the second matchup, Yamson squared off with Dan Tormis and started the first set on a high note, 11-9. The rookie absorbed tight counters from the tiger paddler, which swung the next two sets in UST’s favor, 6-11, 5-11. However, the Blue Eagle refused to falter in the fourth set, 11-9, only to suffer a setback and bow down in the match, 7-11.
Atenean duo Wrency Abad and Fresco looked to bring back a set advantage against the España-based squad, executing flashes at the table. However, their efforts fell short against UST’s dominant performance, as the dyad was swept in straight sets, 11-13, 4-11, 9-11.
With the Blue Eagles trailing to equalize the stakes, Team Captain Andrew Uy ignited an early blow against Tiger Paddler Ray Manlapaz, 11-7. Despite the early surge, Uy yielded the last three sets to his veteran counterpart, 9-11, 8-11, 4-11.
4:00 PM match vs. DLSU
Wrapping up day three of the tournament, Cabrido returned to the table with determination to capture three straight sets against La Salle’s Joseph Noriega, 12-10, 11-6, 11-1.
Meanwhile, the second matchup witnessed Yamson close out the first two sets against Dave Saluna, 11-7, 11-3. In the third set, the rookie stumbled against the Green Paddler, 7-11, but reclaimed the momentum to win frame four, 11-4.
Looking to close out the match with a sweep, Abad and Fresco concluded things effortlessly and defeated DLSU’s Andrei Villacruel and Peter Zambrano, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4.
With stakes heating up and a Final Four bid on the line, the Blue Eagles look to secure their spot as the elimination round concludes tomorrow, November 19, at 8:00 AM, in the same venue.
Men’s Standings (W-L):
- UST Tiger Paddlers (9-0)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (6-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (6-3)
- FEU Tamaraws (5-4)
- DLSU Green Paddlers (4-6)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-7)
- UE Red Warriors (0-10)
