Lopue’s paddlers lead march of favorites

Lopue’s Table Tennis Club (LOPTTA) of Bacolod scored twin victories to lead the march of the favorites in the opener of the LG Cup Table Tennis Open on Monday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Starring national team mainstay Ernesto Ebuen, LOPTTA escaped past Filipino-Chinese Club, 3-2, before cruising to a masterful 3-0 win over Marclyn Club and in the team competition of this event organized by the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines (TATAP).

Ebuen, displaying superiority in speed, defeated Ernesto Salvador, 3-1, and beat Michael Dalumpines, 3-0, as LOPTTA forced Fil-Chinese Club to a 2-2 tie. Mark Jimenez whipped Salvador in three sets to complete the win for LOPTTA.

Marclyn also dropped its next game against UP-Airforce, 0-3.

LOPTTA’s women’s team also pulled off back-to-back victories to gain a head start in the race for quarterfinal seats of this weeklong event supported by LG Electronics, Rustan’s, Accel, Cape Lupe, Lux Asia, Alaska, Rudy Project, Agua Vida, Pagcor, PCSO and Philippine Sports Commission.

The LOPTTA ladies brushed aside the challenge of top player Cristanta Abas in eking out a close 3-2 decision over Letran Team A. Veteran campaigner Susan Tayag led LOPTTA’s charge in its second straight triumph at the expense of UP Diliman, 3-0.

The weeklong tournament, managed by the International Management Group, formally opened with an elaborate ceremony attended by TATAP president Victory Valbuena and important guests Henry Jang of LG Collins, PSC chairman Eric Buhain, POC president Celso Dayrit and Pagcor consultant Luis Carlos representing chairman Ephraim Genuino.

Also scoring back-to-back wins in the men’s event were Philippine Navy which defeated PCU-B and St. Martin; Letran A which hurdled CSB-B and UP Team B; PCU-A which trounced Amoranto and University of Asia and the Pacific; and Makati which won over Marrtie and UA&P.