Sisi Rondina and Dzi Gervacio for team Philippines. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
The tandem of Cherry Rondina and Dzi Gervacio emerged as the early leader in Group D after a sweep of United States’ Lindsey Fuller and Kaley Melville, 21-12, 21-15, in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Friday at SM Sands by the Bay.
Rondina and Gervacio are the first team from the Philippines to win their opening matches and earn two points after the other Filipino squads dropped their assignments early in the morning.
“We just played our game and we wanted to show to the Filipinos watching what we are capable of,” said Rondina in Filipino.
Jackielyn Estoquia and Dhannylaine Demontaño lost to Paraguay’s Erika Bobadilla and Michelle Amarilla, 21-19, 21-13, in Pool A to open the campaign for the Filipinos.
The Paraguay duo is atop Pool A with two points and is tied with Thailand’s Thatsarida Singchuea and Pawarun Pawarun Chanthawichai.
Charo Soriano and Bea Tan, meanwhile, dropped a 21-20, 21-9 heartbreaker to Japan’s Takemi Nishibori and Ayumi Kusano.
Japan zoomed to the top of Pool B along with Norway’s Janne Pedersen and Hanne Zylstra with two points apiece while Soriano and Tan’s settled for a point.
Another Philippine team in Lourdilyn Catubag and Karen Quilario succumbed in straight sets to the Netherlands’ Katja Stam and Julia Wouters, 21-14, 21-11, in Pool C.
The Dutch duo are atop Pool C with Japan’s Shinako Tanaka and Sakurako Fujii with two points while the Catubag and Quilario are at third with Hong Kong’s Ting Chi Yuen and Wai Yan Au Yueng with one point.