Home bets get reality check

Filipina netters were given a dose of reality when they bombed out of the Round of 16 in the doubles event of the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Tennielle Madis and Stefi Aludo were crushed by the Japanese pair of Kanako Morisaki and Mana Ayukawa, 2-6, 2-6 while Rovie Baulete and Elizabeth Abarquez suffered a 0-6, 2-6 loss to Hiroko Kuwata of Japan and Ye Quiyu of China in a match that lasted for only 44 minutes.

Despite clinching a bronze medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last month and emerging as doubles champion in the PCA Open last year, the tandem of Madis and Aludo looked like amateurs, surrendering the match in front of a capacity home crowd in just 58 minutes of action.

Despite the setback, Madis still enjoyed competing against the best players in the world in this prestigious event put up by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association.

“The level in the WTA is even higher. No one gave up on every point. It’s not like the ones we played in the Southeast Asian Games,” said Madis, who bowed to Mananchaya Sawagnkaew of Thailand, 4-6, 0-6, in the Round of 32 of the singles event last Monday.

“Stefi and I were able to play against the best doubles players and we had strategies on how to play doubles better.”

Aludo agrees, saying that their Japanese foes were so tough that national team coach Bobie Angelo reminded them that they have to work hard and bleed for every point.

“That’s why coach Bobbie said that because the opponent was strong, we just had to crawl every point,” said Aludo, who failed to make it into the main draw of the women’s singles after a 1-6, 2-6 loss to Japanese netter Sakura Hosogi last Monday.

“It was a fun experience for us. We enjoyed a lot and learned a lot against the Japanese players.”