PLDT stages Set 3 comeback to complete sweep vs. new-look Farm Fresh
The High Speed Hitters were in danger of being dragged to a fourth set extension after the retooled Foxies built a 23-19 lead in the third set off back-to-back points from Trisha Tubu.
But PLDT reorganized following a tactical timeout with Kiesha Bedonia pulling off back-to-back aces to fuel a huge 5-0 rampage that saw the High Speed Hitters taking the match point at 24-23.
Alohi Robins-Hardy, though, came up with a block against Shiela Kiseo and a one-two play that allowed Farm Fresh and new Italian head coach Alessandro Lodi to secure their set point, 26-25.
Mika Reyes then answered with a running cross court attack while a Lorene Toring attack error sent PLDT to a 27-26 lead. Reyes and Kim Kianna Dy then put the roof on Caitlyn Viray on the left side to finish it off.
Bedonia closed out his clutch performance with a 14-point outing anchored on 10 attacks, two blocks, and two aces together with seven receptions as PLDT got off to a good start in the preseason showcase.
Reyes chipped in 10 points while Jovie Prado chipped in nine markers and 10 digs.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
6 hours ago
- GMA Network
Djokovic easing into old routine as seeds hit back at Wimbledon
LONDON - Novak Djokovic showed signs that he is easing into the old routine at Wimbledon as the seven-times champion sauntered into the third round on Thursday while Barbora Krejcikova also made it through as her title defence continued. World number one Jannik Sinner also eased into round three as his pursuit of a first Wimbledon title gathered pace, the Italian thrashing Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-1 6-1 6-3. But Britain's big hope, fourth seed Jack Draper, ran in to an inspired Marin Cilic and joined the exodus of seeds from the men's draw which now totals 18 in the opening two rounds. Despite fervent home support on Court One Draper was out-gunned 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 by big-serving Croatian Cilic who produced the kind of tennis that took him to the 2017 final. "It's not the pressure, it's not the whatever. I just didn't play good enough today. I lost to a better player," said Draper, who is regarded as Britain's successor to two-time champion Andy Murray. "I came up short." This year's Championships have been littered with big names biting the dust early and while Draper's loss sent shockwaves around the grounds, day four provided some big statements from those fancied for deep runs on the lawns. Former women's champion Elena Rybakina arrived very much under the radar but has reached the third round for the loss of a mere seven games, the 11th seed destroying Greece's Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-1 in 62 minutes. Five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, surprisingly yet to go past the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, is another who will quietly fancy her chances and the Pole looked impressive as she hit back from a set down to beat Caty McNally 5-7 6-2 6-1. Djokovic struggled past Alexandre Muller on Tuesday when he was hampered by stomach issues. Two days later, however, he was at his ruthlessly efficient best in a 6-3 6-2 6-0 thrashing of popular Briton Dan Evans on Centre Court. The 38-year-old is bidding to equal Roger Federer's men's record eight Wimbledon titles and claim an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam crown and, while the talk is of top seed Sinner and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz disputing the final, the Serbian should not be dismissed. He has reached the last six Wimbledon finals and clearly believes he will still be around on July 13. "Technically, tactically I knew exactly what I needed to do and I executed perfectly," Djokovic said after his 99th match win at Wimbledon since making his debut in 2005. "Sometimes you have these kind of days, where everything goes your way, everything flows and it's good to be in the shoes and holding a racket on a day like this." BUSINESSLIKE DISPLAY Czech Krejcikova, a surprise winner last year, found herself out on Court 2 where the 17th seed produced a typically businesslike display as she battled past American Caroline Dolehide, winning 6-4 3-6 6-2. She will face a much more dangerous American next in the form of Emma Navarro after the 10th seed crushed Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-2. With four of the top five women's seeds already gone, the draw looks wide open for players such as Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva who beat Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-1 7-6(4). Swiatek will also be fancying her chances as she prepares for a third round against American Danielle Collins. Asked to explain early defeats for so many fancied players such as French Open winner Coco Gauff and last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini, Poland's Swiatek kept it simple. "Sometimes we will lose early because the schedule is pretty crazy. You can't win everything," she said. More than half of the 32 men's seeds have perished before the third round, with 13 failing to clear the first hurdle, but those remaining reasserted themselves on Thursday. Australia's 11th seed Alex de Minaur beat Arthur Cazaux 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-0, while powerful Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, seeded 15, beat American Marcos Giron 6-4 3-6 6-4 7-6(4) to underline his credentials as a dangerous floater. Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, playing in his 59th successive Grand Slam, may no longer be considered a genuine title threat but, more than a decade since reaching his sole Wimbledon semi-final, he showed he is still a class act as the 19th seed beat tricky Frenchman Corentin Moutet 7-5 4-6 7-5 7-5. There were still casualties though. American 13th seed Tommy Paul needed treatment on a foot injury on his way to a 1-6 7-5 6-4 7-5 defeat by Austria's 165th-ranked Sebastian Ofner. —Reuters
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Normality returns to Wimbledon as Alcaraz and Sabalenka ease through
LONDON - Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and the end of London's tropical heatwave ensured that a sense of normality returned to the lawns of Wimbledon on Wednesday after two sweat-soaked days of shocks, although Jasmine Paolini's exit meant the surprises did not end. A stream of big names including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev crashed and burned in the oven-like temperatures of the first round. So when Alcaraz walked on Centre Court to continue his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, the thought surely lurked somewhere in his mind that he could be the fall-guy in the event's greatest upset. The 22-year-old second seed was not at his best but after saving three break points in a nervy first service game against a college student ranked 733rd in the world, he asserted his authority to win 6-1 6-4 6-4. Earlier on Centre Court, women's top seed Sabalenka battled to a 7-6(4) 6-4 win against Czech Marie Bouzkova. "Honestly, it is sad to see so many upsets in the tournament, in both draws, women's and men's," said Sabalenka, who is bidding for her first Wimbledon title. "I'm just trying to focus on myself... I hope there are no more upsets in this tournament." That was not to be, as last year's runner-up Paolini joined the mass exodus of fancied players when she crashed out 4-6 6-4 6-4 against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova. However, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, the sixth seed, made it safely into round three by beating Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 while unseeded four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka eased past Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-2. Lower temperatures did not necessarily mean more comfortable outings as world number 12 Frances Tiafoe became the 14th of the 32 men's seeds to fall, losing 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 against Cameron Norrie, one of seven Britons in singles action on day three. The American was joined later on by Czech 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka, last month's Queen's Club Championships runner-up, who fell 7-6(4) 6-1 7-5 to Italian Mattia Bellucci. HOME CHARGE Ashlyn Krueger, the American 31st seed, was then beaten 7-6(4) 6-4 by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ensuring 15 of the 32 women's seeds also went out of the tournament. Sonay Kartal led the home charge by defeating Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2 to book her place in the last 32 for the second year in succession while the nation's big hope Emma Raducanu got past 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3. There was disappointment for Britain's Katie Boulter, who served 14 double faults as she crashed 6-7(9) 6-2 6-1 to 101st-ranked Solana Sierra, the Argentine who lost in qualifying but has seized her lucky loser spot with both hands. Alcaraz, bidding to do the French Open-Wimbledon double for the second successive year, needed five sets to get past Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the opening round and set up an intriguing clash with 21-year-old Tarvet. Tarvet, who plays on the U.S. collegiate circuit for the University of San Diego, said he believed he could beat anyone, even Alcaraz, after winning his Grand Slam debut match against fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi of Switzerland on Monday. He was clearly not overawed at sharing a court with a five-times major champion and had he taken any of the eight break points he earned in the first set it could have been closer. Alcaraz proved a step too far though as he moved through the gears when required to keep an eager Tarvet under control. Just as the Spaniard did in his first round when going to the aid of a female spectator suffering in the heat, Alcaraz again endeared himself to the Centre Court crowd. "First of all I have to give a big congratulations to Oliver, it's his second match on the tour. I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played," Alcaraz said. Play on courts without roofs was delayed for two hours by light morning rain but once the clouds rolled away the place to be for fans without showcourt tickets was Court 12 for Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca's match against American Jenson Brooksby. The 18-year-old is widely tipped as a future challenger to the domination of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and he showed why during a 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4 win that was celebrated by a large contingent of exuberant Brazilians. Andrey Rublev, who suffered a bruising loss to Fonseca in the Australian Open first round earlier this year, battled past Lloyd Harris 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-3 before Taylor Fritz closed out the day with a 3-6 6-3 7-6(0) 4-6 6-3 win over Gabriel Diallo. —Reuters
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula ousted in first-round Wimbledon shockers
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 1, 2025 Coco Gauff of the U.S. reacts during her first round match against Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq Three of the top five seeds in the Wimbledon ladies' singles draw -- Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and China's Qinwen Zheng -- bowed out Tuesday in a stunning first round in London. Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto made a triumphant return to the Wimbledon stage by ousting No. 3 seed Pegula 6-2, 6-3 in just 58 minutes. Soon after, Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic outlasted the fifth-seeded Zheng 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. To cap the upset-laden day, Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska took down No. 2 seed and French Open champion Gauff, 7-6 (3), 6-1. "I love playing on grass," said Yastremska, who reached the final of last month's Nottingham Open on the surface. "I feel that this year we are kind of friends. I hope that the road will continue for me here." Gauff struggled throughout the night, finishing with a mere six winners and 29 unforced errors. Yastremska broke Gauff's serve four times in six chances and capitalized on Gauff's balky serve. Gauff double-faulted nine times, and when she was forced to her second serve, she won fewer than half the points (14 of 32). Cocciaretto, meanwhile, had to sit out the major in 2024 due to illness. She has played well on grass courts in the past year, reaching the semifinals last year at Birmingham and last month in 's-Hertogenbosch. "I was so pumped to play Wimbledon this year," Cocciaretto said in her on-court interview. "I couldn't wait until the match started, I was practicing so hard." Cocciaretto, 24, has won one title on the WTA Tour and has a 14-17 record and the No. 116 world ranking this season. By beating Pegula, she earned her second win over a top-10 opponent, previously defeating Petra Kvitova at the French Open in 2023. Pegula came into the match on a high note, having defeated Iga Swiatek of Poland last weekend to win the grass-court title in Bad Homburg. But Cocciaretto dictated the match and hit 17 winners compared to five for Pegula, who was broken on serve four times but scored only eight points on her opponent's serve. "She played absolutely incredible tennis," Pegula said. "Do I think I played the best match ever? No, but I definitely don't think I was playing bad. It wasn't like I was playing that bad. She just was hitting her shots and going for it, serving big, serving high percentage, going big second serves, redirecting the ball. "I do feel like she played kind of insane. Hats off to her. Kudos to her for playing at a high level that I couldn't match today." In the second round, Cocciaretto will face another American, Katie Volynets. She defeated Tatjana Maria of Germany 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1. Yastremska will face Russian qualifier Anastasia Zakharova, who defeated Belarus' Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. The plethora of top seeds falling could open a path for No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who beat Egypt's Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-3, or the eighth-seeded Swiatek, a 7-5, 6-1 winner over Russian Polina Kudermetova. No. 10 seed Emma Navarro defeated two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-1. It was Kvitova's final Wimbledon match, as she recently announced she will retire following the U.S. Open. "This place holds the best memories I could wish for," Kvitova said in an on-court interview. "I never dreamed of winning a Wimbledon and I won it twice. This is something very special. I will miss Wimbledon for sure," Xinyu Wang of China upset Czech 15th seed Karolina Muchova 7-5, 6-2. And Canadian lucky loser Victoria Mboko -- in the field after Anastasia Potapova of Russia withdrew -- toppled Polish 25th seed Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-2. Other seeded players to advance Tuesday included No. 11 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, No. 16 Daria Kasatkina of Australia, No. 17 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova of Russia, No. 23 Clara Tauson of Denmark and No. 28 Sofia Kenin. Veronika Erjavec of Slovenia defeated No. 26 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in three sets. French qualifier Elsa Jacquemot did the same to No. 27 Magda Linette of Poland. Americans Caty McNally, Hailey Baptiste, Danielle Collins and Caroline Dolehide advanced to the next round. Also victorious were Russians Anna Kalinskaya and Veronika Kudermetova, Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands, Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu, Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey, Lucia Bronzetti of Italy, Maria Sakkari of Greece, Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine, Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. --Field Level Media/Reuters
