The UST Tiger Paddlers extended their winning streak to six on the second day of the UAAP Season 85 men’s table tennis tournament at the Makati Coliseum on Monday.
After going 3-0 on Sunday, UST dominated the DLSU Green Archers, FEU Tamaraws, and the Adamson Soaring Falcons to stay atop the standings.
UST’s Ruiz Marcelino and Eljay Tormis pounded their respective foes in singles play, while the duo of Prince Garcia and Al Sanchez nipped DLSU’s Josiah Espinosa and Peter Zambrano,11-4, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3, for their first victory.
UST outlasted Adamson for their second win, 3-2.
With the Tiger Paddlers down, 2-1, John Castro hammered Paolo Montorte, 11-9, 11-6, 11-3, and team captain Alvin Sevilla swept Warren Polido, 11-5, 11-9, 13-11, for their second team win.
Manny De Leon and Sanchez ended the Tiger Paddlers’ strong day two after trouncing FEU’s tandem of Ram Balanquit and Arvin Morales, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8.
UST head coach Jackson Que said that despite another good performance, the Tiger Paddlers need to improve their resiliency in the upcoming games.
“Medyo nawala sa play ang mga athletes natin against Adamson, though naka-recover naman, especially towards the end. Nawala kasi sa focus ang iilan sa kanila,” Que told the Varsitarian.
In the junior’s division, the boy’s team swept the UP Integrated School and Adamson University, before bowing down to the defending champions De La Salle-Zobel School, 3-1.
The second round of the UAAP men’s table tennis tournament will continue on Nov. 22 at the same venue. Bjorn Del B. Deade
