Thrillers mark second day of LG netfest

Four thrilling five-setters marked the second day of action of the first LG Table Tennis age-group invitational championships with Noel Gonzales, Isaias Seronio, Rowell Yatco and Rogel Flores escaping with victories to barge into the round of 16 of the "Battle of the Champions" at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati.

Gonzales, playing out of Letran, battled from a set down to turn back Rodel Valle of PNP, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6; Seronio, a UP mainstay, nipped last year’s LG Cup champion Japhet Adaza of PCU, 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, while Yatco of TATAP likewise edged PAF’s Romeo Flores after dropping the opening set, 10-12, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7.

Flores, on the other hand, took the first set but found a tough nut to crack in Kirby Colis as he needed to dig deep from his arsenal of shots to repulse the Navy bet, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 15-13.

Joining them in the next round of the five-day event sponsored by top electronics firm LG were Julius Esposo of UST, Leonardo de Leon of PAF, and Navy’s talented duo of Lauro Crisostomo and Jojo Almazan.

Esposo beat Rudolf Palermo of Makati, 11-5, 11-7, 12-14, 11-9; De Leon swept Ronaldo Santos of Nueva Ecija, 11-7, 11-3, 13-11; Crisostomo trounced Michael Dalumpines of PAF, 11-4, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9; while the 26-year-old Almazan prevailed over Henbend Ortalla of UST, 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9.

Meanwhile, Kimberly Elaine Medina of St. Martin rallied from a set down to oust Marian Lyn Sanchez, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5, to arrange a semis clash with Camille Gutierrez of Batangas in the girls’ 12-under category of the event staged by IMG and backed by Tibhar, Accel, Rustan’s, Café Lupe, Aqua Vida, Luxaria, NBC, Ayala Center, 103.5 K-Lite and The STAR,

Gutierrez struggled past Lozell Escala, also of St. Martin, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9. Other results saw Jameson Austria win over Fritz Mendoza, 11-7, 11-6, 14-12, in the boys’ 10-under class, and Jamie Austria down Noemi Dumlao, 11-2, 11-3, 11-3, in the girls’ 10-under category.

Hostilities resume today with the Battle of the Champions for men, the semifinal round of the of the men’s and women’s 20-under and 25-under, the men’s 30-under, 40-under, 50-under, 60-under and 61-above and the LIHA event, a classification tournament featuring those who participated in the last PCSO-President’s Cup national age-group championships.