TAIPEI—The Philippines’ table tennis, badminton and billiards’ teams, which excelled during the earlier rounds, hit a brick wall in the Summer Universiade here on Monday.
Lemuel Agbon saw his impressive three-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of Wi Hun Kang of Korea in their round-of-32 singles’ encounter.
Agbon, however, still emerged as the winningest Filipino in the prestigious 12-day competition also known as the World University Games.
The 22-year-old campaigner from University of Cebu swept his first three assignments against Karan Rai of Nepal, 3-1; Carlos Barraza Vergara of Colombia, 3-2; and Habib Antoun of Lebanon, 3-2.
Agbon’s compatriot, John Vincent Cabaluna, was also a loser to Masaki Yoshida of Japan in another round-of-32 encounter.
Meanwhile, John Rodlin Bautista dropped a close 7-11 decision to Eirik Riisnaes of Norway in their quarterfinal showdown in the men’s individual biliards event at the Taipei Expo Dome,
The 9-ball men’s doubles’ team of Bautista and James Lin also went out fighting in an 8-11 loss to the Japanese duo of Jengi Suzuli and Tskayuki Shishido in the quarterfinals.
Over at the Taipei gymnasium, Adrian Daniele Rigonan lost in the men’s singles and Ruben Haramel Jr. and Christine Garin fell in the mixed doubles of the badminton competitions
The 21-year-old Rigonan lost to Ming Nok Yeung of Hong Kong in the men’s singles
The pride of College of St.Benilde fell 7-21, 15-21.
Also losing in the men’s singles of badminton are JC Clarito to Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, 6-21, 6-21, and Mac Lawrence Marfa to Lucas Florent Claerbout of France, 7-21, 4-21.
In the mixed doubles, Haramel and Garin failed to follow up their inspiring 21-16, 21-18 win over Alexander La and Victoria Chen of the United States in the round-of-64 and lost to Eric Viong and Claudia Lam of Australia in the round-of-32.
