Big guns fire again

NAGOYA – Alex Eala blasted, Carlo Paalam counter-punched – and Team Philippines netted a rich harvest on a rain-hit Monday in the 20th Asian Games here.

Eala brought her A-game even while confined to a no-fan covered court due to showers, routing Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej (World No. 505), 6-1, 6-0, in the Round of 16 after a five-hour delay.

About an hour later at Nishio Gymnasium, Paalam climbed the ring and came down with a semifinal berth and a sure bronze, hacking out a split decision over China’s Jiamao Zhang in the men’s 55kg quarterfinals.

In a productive Monday, sepak takraw savored a historic double – a final entry (at least a silver) in women’s doubles and a bronze finish in men’s regu – while the beach volley belles punched a pair of quarterfinal passages.

With Monday’s haul, the Philippines’ medal tally now stands at 2-2-10 (gold-silver-bronze).

Other big guns are set to fire today as pole vaulter EJ Obiena chases a golden repeat while middle-distance runner Victoria Bossong seeks to complete her job in 800m run. The Fil-Am belle topped the qualifications last night with a time of 2:02.34.

Eala in command

It’s not just Eala winning in the rain-drenched tennis center at Higashiyama Park.

The pair of Stefi Aludo and Tennielle Madis was first off, winning over Indonesians Anjali Junarto and Meydiana Reinnamah, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), in women’s doubles first round.

The Pinoy netters are enjoying their campaign, inspired by the presence of Eala. And so does Eala herself.

“Happy akong makasama ang mga teammates ko. Noong SEA Games, sobra akong nag-enjoy, sobrang memorable at gusto kong balikan iyon,” she said.

She was happy with her first-round performance as well. “I’m happy how I performed, difficult condition, but I played well despite the rain,” she said.

“I’ve got a lot of experience professionally and experience outside the court. Of course, I’m a little bit more mature physically and mentally,” she added.

Paalam’s counter code

Paalam was his similar self from his Tokyo Olympics silver feat – vicious and ferocious with his counterpunching against Zhang.

The lanky Chinese was a young, tough rival and it showed on his stand and on the scorecards. Paalam won three scorecards in the first, four of five in the second while Zhang got all five in the third.

Paalam bared his high-risk strategy: “Binigyan ko siya ng opensa, para makita ko kung saan patamaan sa counter. Kahit na tamaan ako, basta tamaan ko siya sa counter.”

It was a pair of Philippine-China bouts – with China winning the other on world champion Yang Chengyu’s conquest of Nesthy Petecio in the women’s 60kg quarterfinals.

“World champion siya, eh timbang pa niya ito. Takbo at suntok ang plano namin sa first round, pero nabigla kami sa dikitan. Nalamangan kami agad, at nahuli na ang adjustment,” rued Petecio.

Asiad medal stayed elusive in Petecio’s third stint in the quadrennial continental games.

Sepak, beach volley strike

Away from tennis and boxing, the other ball games delivered.

The sepak takraw women pulled off the breakthrough the country has been waiting for – Abigail Sinogbuhan, Jean Marie Sucalit and Nelly Jay Salon powering past Laos, 15-12, 15-10, to reach the women’s doubles final against Vietnam, already guaranteeing the Team Phl its best finish ever in the sport.

On the men’s side, the regu of Jason Huerte, Jom Lerry Rafael, Reynaldo Asilum Jr., Glindel Phori and Ronsited Gabayeron threatened an upset, snatching the opening set from powerhouse Malaysia before running out of steam, 15-10, 11-15, 7-15 – still good enough for a breakthrough bronze.

Over at the beach front, the Phl pairs kept their charge going.

Sofiah Pagara and Khylem Progella refused to blink in a tight finish, turning back Hong Kong’s MC Wong and NL Tsang, 26-24, 21-18.

Not to be outdone, Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons showed grit of their own, bouncing back from a pool-play defeat to topple Japan’s Sakura Ito and Mayu Sawame, 21-17, 21-15, and arrange a grudge rematch with Kazakhstan’s Merey Kozhakhmet and Laura Kabulbekova.

Obiena next

The charge continues today.

Obiena, who owns the Asian record of 6.0 meters, seeks to retain his men’s pole vault title against 11 other vaulters at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium at 6:20 p.m. local time (5:20 p.m. Manila).

“One more for this season. Asian Games (today),” Obiena wrote, as this Asiad is tipped to be his last tournament for the season.

Six-time world champion MLBB squad also gets its gold hunt going today. Yesterday, Honor of Kings settled for bronze after a semis loss to China.

There were other heartbreaks Monday. Alas Men suffered a second straight loss to China. In BMX racing at the Nagoya Velodrome, Patrick Bren Coo made the final but took a spill to finish seventh of eight. Daniel Caluag, the 2014 champ now 39, missed the finale. — John Bryan Ulanday