Swedes too much for PH bets

Thailand’s pair celebrates after scoring a point against the Philippines’ pair of Charo Soriano and Alexa Micek during their Spike for Peace match Sunday at Philsports Arena. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

DANIKA Gendrauli and Jane Diaz of Philippines Team B came up with their own “provincial-style” game but proved no match against Sweden’s reigning national champions Sunday.

The short and stocky local pair responded with chased every ball thrown at them by Karin Erika Lundqvist and Anne-Lie Helense Rinisland before losing, 21-13, 21-16, in the Spike for Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament at Philsports Arena.

Gendrauli and Diaz, who won the Philippine Superliga beach volley crown this year, still impressed the Swedes who came into the tournament sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission as the third-ranked squad.

Later in the evening, PH A of Alexa Micek and Charo Soriano bowed to 2010 Asian Games champion Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee of Thailand, 21-11, 21-9.

The Netherlands’ Rosanna Van Der Hoeven and Gabrielle Ilke Meertens trounced Maygar Becchara Palmer and Sarah Anne Battaglene of Australia B, 22-20, 21-17, while the United States’ Jennifer Snyder and Emily Jo Stockman outlasted Alexandra Jordan Mowen and Clare Justine Mowen, 21-23, 21-13, 15-10 in the other games of the 12-nation meet that ends on Dec. 3 and is free to the public.