Two giants fall

 NAGOYA – A Thursday that sparkled ended with a sting.

And suddenly, Team Philippines’ bid for four golds – or more – is on thin ice in the closing days of the 20th Asian Games after two giants fell with a thud.

Tennis darling Alex Eala, billed as one of the three biggest stars of these Games, crumbled after a blazing start. World No. 18 Eala took the first five games and the first set 6-3 against China’s Wang Xiyu, then lost the plot – 3-6, 2-6 – in their women’s singles semifinal.

Less than 24 hours after bowing out in doubles, Eala was left with a lone bronze. In Hangzhou 2023, she had two.

“Binigay ko talaga todo, no regrets,” Eala said. “She really played well today. She’s more consistent. I had a couple of ups and down.”

Wang, a former World No. 49 with a French Open fourth round this year, simply refused to blink in the decider.

If that was a dagger, the first cut came earlier in the afternoon at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall.

Jiu-jitsu world champion Kimberly Anne Custodio – reigning world champ at -45kg and SEA Games gold medalist at -48kg – was stunned in the Round of 16. Her bout against Balqees Abdulla ended 0-0, with the UAE bet winning it on advantages.

Both had byes in the Round of 32. One bout, one cruel exit.

It wasn’t all gloom. Thursday actually sparkled first – with historic silvers from Amaya Paz Cojuangco in archery and Juliana Mykhail Candelaria in women’s individual poomsae, plus a bronze from Jeus Gabriel Yape in men’s poomsae.

Then Bang! Bang! Two favorites gone.

In men’s -69kg, Marc Alexander Lim also bowed out – a 2-2 tie vs South Korea’s Joo Seonghyeon decided by advantages, after wins over Mongolia and Vietnam and a repechage run that ended in a bronze-medal match loss.

Hunting gold

The hope now shifts to Hangzhou gold medalist and world champion Annie Ramirez who’s dropping from 57kg to 52kg to keep the gold hunt alive.

For Eala, Nagoya is over and her next stop is Wuhan to continue her campaign in the WTA Tour.

For Team Philippines, the search for gold suddenly got desperate.

A bright hope for the fourth gold today is Carlo Paalam in the 55kg finale versus hometown bet Rui Yamaguchi. A win by Paalam will end the 16-year gold drought by Philippine boxing in the quadrennial continental games.

Twin silvers

Somehow easing the double heartbreak was the twin silvers.

First was Cojuangco’s surprise run in compound women’s individual highlighted by her stunner over a Korean rival.

She beat China’s Wei Fangyao and Vietnam’s Le Pham Ngoc Anh to reach the quarters, then needed three perfect 30s to oust second-seed Bita Asheghzadeh Oskouei of Iran, 146-135, before a massive 142-141 semifinal upset of Korea’s Park Jungyoon – a giant reversal considering Korea has won 32 of 76 Olympic golds and 46 of 73 Asian Games golds.

That set up the final. Tied at 110-all going into the last end, Ashrifah closed with back-to-back 10s for a 29 while Cojuangco shot three 9s for a 27.

The silver is historic anyway – the best finish ever for the Philippines in Asian Games archery, topping Paul Marton dela Cruz’s bronze from Incheon in 2014.

Over in Toyohashi, teen star Candelaria captured silver and Yape added bronze in taekwondo poomsae.

The 18-year-old Candelaria showed poise and grace in her routine, announcing her arrival on the Asiad stage in her debut Games. With 9.1300, she finished second behind South Korea’s Jung Ha-eun. Bronze medals went to Thitaree Kaewolanwasu of Thailand and Yuiko Niwa of Japan.

Minutes later, the men followed. Yape (9.0900) placed third in the final to secure the bronze medal. Yun Kyu-sung of South Korea took the gold and Navin Pinthasute of Thailand the bronze.

Golfers in the fight

Elsewhere, Japan Tour card holder Justin delos Santos bristled with a three-under 67 after a 70 to be in a crowded group atop the leaderboard in men’s individual golf.

Delos Santos, who fired four birdies against a bogey in Round 2, sits at ninth with 135, in a heavy jam paced by Taiwanese Wang Wei-hsuan and Chinese Ding Wenyi at 131. Six others are no more than three strokes behind. Miguel Tabuena is at 140 and Jan Corpus at 141.

In women’s play, Rianne Malixi rallied with a 66 to be at joint fifth at 136. Singapore’s Shannon Tan paces the field at 127.

In women’s beach volleyball, the pair of Khylem Harl Progella and Sofiah Shanine Pagara dropped to the battle for third place after yielding to the same Thai tandem that crushed Bernadeth Pons and Sisi Rondina in the quarterfinals.

Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee eliminated Pons and Rondina, 21-17, 12-21, 15-13, Wednesday then knocked out the Progella-Pagara tandem, 23-21, 21-18, yesterday.