Oct. 01, 2014, 10:56 p.m. – THE UST Paddlers succumbed
to the University of the Philippines and were ousted in the Final Four of the
UAAP Season 77 table tennis tournament at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym Wednesday.
The Tiger Paddlers will miss the finals after squandering a
twice-to-beat advantage over the Maroons, who beat them, 1-3 and 2-3, in their
two encounters.
UST failed to close out the knockout game after Tiger
Paddler Adolfo Baltazar dropped the fourth game and allowed the Maroons to
force a fifth and deciding match.
UP’s Christian Victorio then swept Kevin Enriquez to arrange
a title showdown against undefeated De La Salle University. The Tiger Paddlers
settled for third place.
“The team did their best. They really wanted to
win,” Tiger Paddler head coach Jackson Que said. “Lamang talaga tayo
over UP. Kahit sila hindi in-expect na mananalo sila. Pero bilog lang talaga
ang bola, wala tayong magagawa.”
Despite the defeat, Que said his team would bounce back next
year as the Tiger Paddlers are expected to parade an intact line-up.
In the women’s division, the Lady Paddlers settled for
fourth place after suffering a tough loss in their knockout stepladder match
against the defending champion UP, 2-3.
Despite a
twice-to-beat disadvantage, the Lady Paddlers gave the Lady Maroons all they
could handle.
“Kung nanalo sana ‘yung doubles, panalo na sana
tayo,” head coach Lori Wadjad said.
“Nahuli sila sa rally at naging ineffective ang service nila.”
Wadjad was convinced the team would have reached the finals,
if not fod the injury of Melai Rocero, UST’s second-best player.
Rocero almost missed the entire season with a severe sprain
that required her to undergo rehabilitation for a month.
Although the Lady Paddlers will miss the services of
veterans Girly Apas and V Lupeba next year, Wadjad believes that UST will
remain a contender.
“Fight pa rin. Sure ako na sa top four kami next
year,” she said. Josiah Darren G. Saynes
