20 NOVEMBER 2018

14 SPORTS
Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Daily Tribune
GIANT-SLAYER
Zverev shocks Djokovic
It is the biggest title I have ever won
LONDON — Alexander Zverev emphatically announced his arrival
at the top of the men’s game by overpowering Novak Djokovic 6-4,
6-3 to win his first ATP Finals title on Sunday.
The 21-year-old German, making his second appearance at the endof-season
showpiece, outlasted six-time champion Roger Federer in
the semi-finals and repeated the feat against the world number one.
Djokovic had not been broken once in the tournament coming into
the match, winning all 36 service games and only facing two break points
but Zverev wrecked his numbers, breaking four times in the match.
The German, coached by Ivan Lendl, faltered just once when
Djokovic broke him early in the second set but that was the only
blemish on an extraordinary performance of power and skill.
“I really can’t describe it,” said Zverev. “It is the biggest title I
have ever won. Firstly, I want to congratulate Novak and we may never
SPORTS SHORTS
NU still clean
Reigning four-time girls champion National
University swept UP Integrated School, 25-5,
25-20, 25-10, to stay perfect Sunday in the UAAP
Season 81 high school volleyball tournament
at the FEU-Diliman Gym.
Jessa Ordiales had eight points, Alyssa
Solomon had three service aces to finish with
seven hits while Minerva Maaya also added
seven points for the Bullpups.
With its ninth consecutive win, NU is just
three victories away from claiming an outright
Finals berth.
Angel Canino had 23 points, 14
receptions and seven digs while Alleiah
Malaluan added nine hits, nine digs and
10 receptions as second-running De La
Salle-Zobel prevailed over University of
the East, 25-20, 30-28, 25-19, to formalize
its semifinals entry with its seventh win
in nine matches.
Ateneo skid over
Ateneo turned to rookie Manu Mariano’s
early goal to beat De La Salle-Zobel, 1-0, for a
winning start in the UAAP Season 81 juniors
football tournament Sunday at the Rizal
Memorial Stadium.
Mariano struck in the fourth minute as the Blue
Eaglets claimed their first win after two seasons.
Last year, Ateneo was winless and had
one draw.
Barbon-Eslapor triumphs
DUMAGUETE CITY — Babylove Barbon and
Genesa Eslapor scored a 21-17, 21-17 victory
over Charo Soriano and Bea Tan, in an early
showdown of the women’s favorites in the
Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour Monday at
the Rizal Boulevard sand court here.
Former UAAP champions KR Guzman and
Krung Arbasto of Tiger Wings opened their
championship bid in the men’s division with a
21-19, 13-21, 15-12 win over Deanne Neil Depedro
and Harold Parcia of USLS in Group B.
Sea Lions advance
Olivarez College primed itself up for the
semifinals as it smothered Technological
Institute of the Philippines, 82-67, yesterday
in the University and Colleges Basketball
League Season 3 at the Olivarez gym in Sucat,
Parañaque yesterday.
The Sea Lions struggled early but picked
themselves up from the second quarter on,
overcoming a 12-point deficit in the first
quarter by dominating the next three on
their way to the 15-point romp.
Cignal eyes rebound
Cignal seeks to regain its winning ways
when it battles struggling Smart in the
Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference
today at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
Action kicks off at 7 p.m. with the HD
Spikers looking to bounce back from a sorry
loss to Petron recently in this prestigious
women’s club tourney bankrolled by Isuzu,
Senoh, Sogo, Mikasa, Asics, Mueller, UCPB
Gen and Bizooku with Genius Sports as
official technical provider.
Meanwhile, the Blaze Spikers are out to
Howell reclaims touch
WASHINGTON — Charles Howell snapped an 11-year US PGA Tour
win drought Sunday in epic fashion, sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on
the second playoff hole to capture the RSM Classic.
The 39-year-old American had not won since Riviera in 2007 — a
gap of 4,291 days — and had lost four of five prior playoffs before
conquering compatriot Patrick Rodgers to win at Sea Island, Georgia.
Squandering his lead with a bogey-double bogey start, Howell
battled back all day to match Rodgers, whose 61-62 weekend nearly
took him to his first PGA title.
Howell also secured a berth in his hometown event — next year’s
Masters at Augusta, Georgia — for the first time since 2012 by ending
his drought after 333 events and 1,154 rounds.
It was third time charmed for Howell, who had three birdie putts
on the 18th hole of the Seaside course to win the title, the first in
the last round and the second on the first playoff hole before his
sank the last.
It was the third career PGA win for Howell, whose first came in
2002 at Williamsburg, Virginia. AFP
WEBB Simpson of the United States putts on the 15th green during the final
round of the RSM Classic.
AFP
extend their winning run when they collide
with winless Sta. Lucia at 4:15 p.m. while
Cocolife guns for a fitting follow up to its
first victory when it tackles Foton in the 2
p.m. appetizer.
Petron, the reigning champion of this
battle that also has ESPN5, Aksyon TV and
Hyper HD as broadcast partners, remains
on top of the team standings with a 5-0
win-loss card while Foton and F2 Logistics
are not far behind with 4-1 and 4-2 slates,
respectively.
have seen the tennis he has played in the last few months before.
He barely lost a match but thankfully he did to me.
“We (Djokovic and Zverev) had so many talks, not only about
tennis but all different types of subjects — I won’t mention
what — but you are a sharing person and you have shared some
titles with me. I appreciate you letting me win one today.”
The Serbian top seed, 31, came into the match seeking to equal
Federer’s record of six ATP Finals wins but was immediately aware he
had a fight on his hands at London’s O2 Arena.
I want to congratulate Novak and we may never have seen
the tennis he has played in the last few months before.
He barely lost a match but thankfully he did to me.
Djokovic beat Zverev 6-4, 6-1 in their round-robin match on Wednesday
but it was a different story in front of a packed and vociferous crowd
on Sunday.
Whoever follows Sarr
as Adamson’s foreign
reinforcement will have a big
shoes to fill
Every season ends and with this comes
players who will finally move on to make their
marks in other leagues or fields.
Here, I’ll look at 10 current UAAP players
who are in their final season of eligibility and
who have left a strong impression on their
respective programs.
Papi Sarr (Adamson) — Sarr is already
in his fourth season with the Falcons. Our
UAAP Season 81 records show he is in his
final season, though I’ve also heard he may
still actually be eligible for one more. For
the sake of this piece, I’ll consider him in
his final year. Sarr, of course, has made a big
splash for the Soaring Falcons. He gave them
a steady presence in the paint and who, when
healthy, was one of the top rebounders and
inside scorers in the UAAP. Whoever follows
him as Adamson’s foreign reinforcement will
have a big shoes (literally and figuratively)
to fill.
Anton Asistio (Ateneo) — Asistio is a rare
breed in the UAAP. From elementary until his
university playing years, he saw action for
just one school, though his worth certainly
goes beyond school loyalty. Many fans viewed
Asistio — even way back in high school — as
someone who would surely have a tough time
in the big leagues. They said he was too small,
frail and pretty much a one-trick pony but he
blossomed into a really important piece of
the championship puzzle for Ateneo. A pure
shooter, Anton can certainly offer something
to teams at the next level looking for guys
who can consistently hit triples.
Kib Montalbo (De La Salle) — Even rival
fans respect Montalbo who may not have
the smoothest moves or the deepest level
of talent but he surely “out-hearts” most
opponents he faces. The Negros native is the
heart and soul of the Green Archers and his
all-out hustle and energy just makes him such
a terrific player to have on one’s team. He
had pedestrian numbers this season but if we
had a metric to measure heart, this kid would
undoubtedly be among the league leaders.
Arvin Tolentino (FEU) — Tolentino had
UAAP exits
Hot Take Hoops
Enzo Flojo
a colorful journey in the UAAP. He played his
first two seasons in Ateneo, earning Rookie
of the Year honors in Season 77 and helping
the Eagles reach the Final Four twice before
eventually making the jump to FEU. He is fresh
from helping the Tamaraws win their eighth
game of the season, securing a playoff for a
Final Four berth against DLSU. He has one of
the most varied skill-sets in the UAAP and is a
prime prospect for the pros.
Asistio can certainly offer something
to teams at the next level looking for
guys who can consistently hit triples.
Richard Escoto (FEU) — Richard may not
be as big or as long as his older brother but
made up for it with a lot of energy and activity
on both ends of the floor. He could be the best
low post option for FEU right now and is also
among their best rebounders. He doesn’t shy
away from any contact in the paint.
Troy Rike (NU) — Rike finished his oneand-done
UAAP season this past weekend
disappointed with the fact the Bulldogs finished
second-to-the-last in the team standings. He
will reportedly return to San Francisco to do
some soul searching, though he is expected to
return to play perhaps at the PBA D-League
first and for the national team before the PBA.
Rike never really dominated in the UAAP but
his size, shooting, and character make him a
viable big man for the pros.
Dave Yu (NU) — This Cebu product will soon
take the licensure exam for Civil Engineers,
blazing an interesting if rarely taken trail for
UAAP talents. He has, however, not completely
closed the door on playing at the next level
With both players going toe-to-toe from the back of the court, the
first set went with serve until the ninth game, when Djokovic dumped
a forehand into the net to concede the break.
Roared on by the crowd, Zverev hit three aces on his way to sealing
the first set 6-4.
Still on a high, the third seed broke an out-of-sorts Djokovic
immediately at the start of the second set to leave the top seed with a
mountain to climb.
Showing nerves for the first time, he double-faulted twice in his next
service game as Djokovic got back on level terms but the German broke
again to lead 2-1 as the Serb’s error count mounted.
Zverev broke Djokovic for the third time in the second set in the ninth
game, producing a stunning backhand down the line at full stretch to
win the championship.
The young German has often been talked about as the leader of the
next generation but despite having three Masters titles under his belt
in his short career, he has a poor record at the Grand Slams. AFP
GERMANY’S Alexander Zverev displays the trophy after beating Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.
and he surely has the skills to do so. The
former Batang Gilas wingman won’t drop 20
points on a consistent basis by any stretch
of the imagination, but he is disciplined and
fundamentally sound.
Jason Varilla (UE) — This Chicago,
Illinois native was poised for a breakout
season for UE but inconsistency plagued him
throughout Season 81. He showed flashes of
brilliance but for him to make a splash at the
next level, he’ll need to buy into a system that
can help him flesh out the most in his game.
His four years in UE have been mostly full
of Ls, but he’s a good kid who will hopefully
catch a break sooner rather than later.
Diego Dario (UP) — This UPIS product had
a lot of ups and downs at the Seniors’ Division
but for sure he has left everything on the
court. He could have used his veteran status as
leverage to gain more playing time or even ask
for more shots, but that’s just not what Diego
was. He sacrificed for the team and played his
role to the hilt. It seems his hard work has borne
fruit, since he will be seeing action in the UAAP
Final Four for the first time next weekend.
Paul Desiderio (UP) — Like Dario, this
Cebuano standout has endured so much
heartbreak as a UP Fighting Maroon, but
he bravely pushed on no matter what. He
is so famous for the line, “Atin’ to. Papasok
‘to!” — which has been a catchphrase of
sorts not just in UP but in most corners
of Philippine hoops. Desiderio isn’t the
biggest or even most naturally talented
wingman out there but his heart is bigger
than most and enables him to rise to the
occasion. We’ll no doubt see him in the
PBA very soon.
Tolentino has one of the most varied
skill-sets in the UAAP and is a
prime prospect for the pros.
*Alvin Pasaol (UE) — Yes, I only wanted to
list 10 but I really have a nagging feeling UE’s
prized forward may be headed for the pros.
Have we seen the last of Pasaol in the UAAP?
Well, if his comments after Sunday’s loss to
NU are anything to go on, then I’d be willing to
wager on the affirmative. If he chooses to close
this chapter in his career then he will leave
with the highest single-season scoring average
by any local in the league’s history and he will
definitely be a first-round pick in PBA Draft.
AFP