Air Force netters book semis seat; St. Benilde lasses trip Letran foes

Campaigners from the Air Force flew high even as the ladies of St. Benilde College (CSB) shone brightest on Tuesday in the LG Cup Table Tennis Open at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Former national team mainstay Rebo Cruz led the charge for the University of the Philippines-Air Force in a 3-2 disposing of Philippine Navy to earn for his team a semifinal seat in the men’s team event.

Cruz, aching to regain his seat in the national pool, defeated elite rivals, counting among his victims national coach Lauro Crisostomo (3-1) and national player Joselito Almazan (3-0), in leading his team to back-to-back wins.

UP-Air Force next faces YMCA, which topped its group after beating PCU A and Philippine National Police (PNP), champion of the recent AFP-PNP Olympics.

YMCA relied on the heroics of national player and Brunei SEA Games bronze medalist Richard Gonzales who scored two victories in his team’s 3-1 whipping of PNP.

The Philippine Air Force Team A led by national player Joseph Cruz defeated Navy-Iloilo and Makati to also book a semifinal seat where it will meet Lopue’s Table Tennis Association (LOPTTA) of Bacolod.

LOPTTA, with national mainstay Ernesto Ebuen at the helm, topped its group after trouncing Letran A and PAF Team B.

CSB Team B brushed aside the heroics of Busan Asian Games campaigner Crisanta Abas to nip Letran, 3-2, and sealed a semifinal seat in the women’s team event of this weeklong tourney supported by LG Electronics, Rustan’s, Accel, Cape Lupe, Agua Vida, Rudy Project, Lux Asia, Pagcor, PSC and PCSO.

CSB Team B set a semifinal showdown with Wadjad Club, named after former national player Lorinda Wadjad, which defeated Adamson, 3-1.

LOPTTA and CSB Team C will meet in the other semifinal pairing of this event managed by the International Management Group.

The champion in each of the men’s and women’s team events will receive P25,000.