Tennis, boxing, golf bets stir PH medal hopes

INCHEON, South Korea—The country’s archers came in with one goal at the 17th Asian Games here: “Shock the world.”

They nearly did.

The men’s team came within a single point of a monumental upset in the compound event, dropping a heartbreaking 228-227 decision to host and world powerhouse South Korea in the semifinals on Thursday at Geyang Asiad Archery here.

“To be that close, to shoot that against South Korea, part of me wants to say it’s OK,” said playing coach Earl Benjamin Yap. “But another part of me says it is unacceptable. Even in practice, we easily beat 228.”

It was that kind of a day for Team Philippines here: There were no medals to add to a two-silver, one-bronze count thus far, but hope was served in abundant doses. For one day in a quadrennial games normally dominated by Asian powers China, South Korea and Japan, the Filipinos refused to be pushovers.

Tennis advanced two mixed pairs to the next round. The lady golfers were within striking distance of the leaders.

Boxing placed three more athletes in the next round, with Wilfredo Lopez, Ian Clark Bautista and Mark Anthony Barriga ousting their first-round foes.

Archery put itself in a position for a bronze medal and is in contention for another one.

“We will beat Iran when we have to,” vowed Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes after the Nationals dropped a 68-63 decision to Iran, a meaningless loss that saw both teams sail into the quarterfinals anyway.

Archery kicked off the country’s strong stand. Down by five points, the team of Yap, Paul Marton Dela Cruz and Ian Chipeco put together a strong final end, nailing five out of a possible six 10s before running out of ends and arrows to complete a comeback.

But what a fight it was for the Filipinos.

“On the last end, we really made Korea nervous,” said archery association secretary general Clint Aranas.

The Filipinos will face Iran for the bronze on Saturday.

Dela Cruz also put himself in the running for a medal, shooting a perfect first end to turn back Sandeep Kumar of India, 141-135, to advance to the semifinals of the men’s individual event.

He will shoot for at least a silver medal on Saturday against top Iranian archer Esmaeil Ebadi.

The tennis pairs of Treat Huey and Denise Dy and Ruben Gonzales and Katharina Lehnert hurdled their opening foes in mixed doubles at Yeorumul Tennis Courts.

Huey and Dy eliminated Hong Kong’s Katherine Cheng and Wong Chun-hun as the two hope to replicate their success in the Southeast Asian Games, where they won a gold in this same event.

“It was good to get the nerves out and practice our shots,” said Dy.

“We’re the underdogs but we can pull off an upset,” said Huey.

Gonzales and Lehnert brushed off Nepal’s Anne Mathena and Dawa Sonam Sherpa, 6-0, 6-1, as the newly formed pair also got its bid going.

Princess Superal bucked a double-bogey start and shot five birdies for a three-under 69 at Dream Park Country Club to tie for fourth in the women’s individual golf, two shots off Thai leader Supamas Sangchan (67).

Superal’s 69, coupled with Miya Legaspi’s 70 (tied for 7th), put the Philippines in third place in the team event with 139, four shots off Thailand’s 135 and just a shot behind South Korea.

“The Koreans are good and for sure they will go under again in the next days, so we really have to be consistent,” said Superal, who started her round at the 385-yard 10th hole on the wrong foot.

Superal hit her approach close to a side bunker and made the green in four. But she fought back brilliantly, sinking three 16-foot birdies, a pitch-in at No. 5 and another short birdie for her three-under score.

Pauline del Rosario’s 78 did not count.

The men’s team was not as successful with Justin Quiban the highest placed Filipino (T-20th) after shooting a one-under 71 in the first round. Rupert Zaragoza was a stroke behind at even 72 (T-28th).

Raymart Tolentino had a 75 as the Philippines totaled 218 in the team event, 13 strokes behind leaders Chinese Taipei.

Lopez turned back Aziz Achilov of Turkmenistan, 2-1, in their middleweight bout while Bautista outclassed Mohamad Shamon of Jordan and cruised to a unanimous flyweight victory.

Barriga, meanwhile, opened with a close 2-1 decision of Syria’s Hussin Al Masri in their light flyweight battle.