NEGRENSE Bernadeth Pons and Cherry Rondina finished fifth in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Boracay Open over the weekend at the White House Beach Station 1 in Boracay.
The Visayan pair failed to make it past the quarterfinals round after a 17-21, 19-21 straight set defeat against No. 160 ranked Sakurako Fujii and Minori Kumuda of Japan.
Prior to that, Pons and Rondina stunned Russian pair of Ekaterina Filina and Ekaterina Zazhigina, 21-18, 21-6, in the round-of-12 to make up for their 16-21, 19-21 loss to eventual champions Satono Ishitsubo and Asami Shiba of Japan.
“Sa ligang ito, nandito na ‘yung mas mga beterana, malalaki. Still, makakakuha din kami dito ng experience at may matutunan kami in this league at sa mga upcoming games namin,” said Rondina.
Negrense Bea Tan and Dij Rodriguez, meanwhile, ended their campaign in the round-of-12 after a 12-21, 12-21 loss to Thai Pawarun Chanthawichai and Thatsarida Singchuea.
Tan and Rodriguez made it at least to the round-of-12 of the competition after a 21-7, 21-15 straight-set win over Malaysia’s Tan Hsi Yan and Tasha Mae at the close of the elimination round.
Ilonggas Jackie Estoquia and DM Demontaño bowed out of contention in the elimination round but not without putting up a valiant stand against Filina and Zazhigina, 14-21, 21-19, 13-15./PN
