By Jean Malanum
MANILA – British twins Joaquin and Javier Bello beat home bets Ran Abdilla and Lerry Francisco, 21-9, 21-16, in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Challenge the Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa City, Laguna on Friday.
The Philippines took a 7-6 lead in the second set but England rallied to control the game and claim victory after 33 minutes.
“It was a good experience and it was good that we were able to keep up with them,” Abdilla said.
“But they’re the top team and it showed, they don’t seem to feel pressure. They play so relaxed,” he added.
The visiting pair, ranked No. 17 in world, is coming off a victory in the BPT Elite 16 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“The Filipinos really pushed us and we had to try out best to win. This win is important. We try to play every point like it was the final,” said Joaquin.
Abdilla and Francisco will try to recover when they next face Austria’s Christoph Dressler and Tim Berger, who lost to compatriots Alexander Horst and Paul Pascariuc, 15-21, 22-20, 8-15.
Meanwhile, world No. 50 Leva Dumbauskaite and Leva Vasiliauskaite of Lithuania also beat Filipinos Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda, 21-12, 21-8, in the tournament hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
Eslapor and Orillaneda will be up next against Niina Ahtiainen and Taru Lahti of Finland, who lost to Daniele Kvedaraite and Jekaterina Kovalskaja of Lithuania, 19-21, 17-21.
Filipinos James Buytrago and Rancel Varga, silver medalists in the BPT Futures Nuvali in April, were also beaten by Mart Tiisaar and Dimitriy Korotkov of Estonia, 8-21, 29-31. (PNA)
