University of Santo Tomas’ Sisi Rondina and Babylove Barbon and Perlas’ Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan, lived up to their lofty pre-tournament billing, setting up an interesting championship duel after sweeping their respective semifinals foes in the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Manila Open yesterday at Sands SM By The Bay.
Rondina and Barbon proved too much to Smart’s Grethcel Soltones and Alyssa Eroa, 21-11, 21-16, while Gervacio and Tan pulled off a 21-9, 21-18 romp of Kempal’s Roma Doromal and Chantal Rodriguez.
The fancied Rondina-Barbon and Gervacio-Tan pairs will enter the gold medal match undefeated in four contests.
The medal matches were played last night.
Using the BVR Manila leg as part of the Tigresses’ pre-season build-up for their UAAP title-retention campaign next month, Rondina and Barbon are making their initial partnership. Gervacio and Tan, on the other hand, were reunited after playing with different tandems in previous legs.
In the quarterfinals, UST’s Rondina and Barbon dominated University of the Philippines 2’s Abi Goc and Mikee Osorio, 21-5, 21-5, while Smart’s Soltones and Eroa outlasted Far Eastern University’s Ivana Agudo and Marianne Calinawan, 21-14, 20-22, 15-11.
Perlas’ Gervacio and Tan defeated UST 2’s Eslapor and Ebro, 21-18, 21-15, while Kempal’s Doromal and Rodriguez subdued Air Force’s Anna Abanto and Jennifer Manzano-Acain, 21-16, 23-21.
In the men’s division, Bryan Bagunas and James Natividad of reigning UAAP champions National University lead the semifinalists.
Bagunas and Natividad defeated Fury’s Philip Bagalay and Greg Utupo, 21-12, 21-12, to arrange a Final Four duel with Air Force’s Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez, 21-9, 21-16 winner over Army’s Joshua Barrica and Joel Villonson.
Krung Arbasto and Jaron Requinton of UST won over NU 2’s James Buytrago and Pol Salvador, 21-7, 21-17, to set a semis showdown with Jayjay Solamillo and Gilbert Balmores of Perpetual Help, who turned back Tigers’ KR Guzman and Efraim Dimaculangan, 21-19, 21-19.