DEFENDING CHAMPIONS UST Tiger Paddlers wrapped up the opening round of the UAAP Season 88 table tennis tournament with a flawless 6-0 slate on Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Amoranto Sports Arena in Quezon City.
The sweep also stretched UST’s remarkable winning run to 50 straight games, a streak that began in Season 81.
Season 87 MVP Eljey Tormis and the Tiger Paddlers cruised to six victories, highlighted by a dominant 3-0 takedown of the previously unbeaten FEU Tamaraws.
Tormis suffered his first defeat of the season at the hands of Ateneo’s Mahendra Cabrido, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 14-12, but UST quickly regained control as the pair of Al Sanchez and Ruiz Marcelino edged Carlos Docto and Emmanuel Yamson, 11-6, 11-3, 5-11, 11-9, to keep the streak intact.
UST then ended the day with back-to-back wins, including emphatic sweeps against DLSU and FEU.
In the women’s division, reigning champions UST Lady Paddlers led by last season’s MVP and Rookie of the Year Althea Gudes closed the first round with a 5-1 card.
The UST women trail only the undefeated Lady Tamaraws, who dealt them a 3-0 shutout.
UST then regained its footing with convincing wins over the DLSU Lady Paddlers (3-1) and the UP Fighting Maroons (3-1).
The second round will resume on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the same venue. F
