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ASEAN research office revises 2020 PHL inflation forecast to 3%

THE ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) maintained its growth forecast for the Philippine economy at 6.4% this year but revised its inflation rate projection upwards.

In its ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook 2020 published Jan. 17, a copy of which was obtained by BusinessWorld, AMRO said the economy will likely grow by 6.4% this year, maintaining the forecast it gave in October last year after its annual consultation visit.

For inflation, AMRO said it now sees the indicator averaging 3% this year, compared to the 2.9% forecast it issued in December.

The inflation forecast is within the government’s 2-4% target range for the year.

AMRO’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast of 6.4%, if realized, will fall short of the 6.5-7.5% official target range set for this year, but will exceed the 2018 level of 6.2%.

AMRO did not discuss the reasons behind the projections.

AMRO now expects the ASEAN+3 region to post 4.9% GDP growth this year, against the previous 4.7% forecast issued in December. In 2018, actual growth was 5.3%.

ASEAN+3 is composed of the 10 ASEAN member nations — Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — plus and China, Japan and South Korea.

“With the recent progress in the US-China trade talks and the signing of the Phase One deal, we expect the region… to grow by 4.9% in 2020, amid resilient domestic demand and improving manufacturing activity indicators. This is an upward revision to our projection in December 2019,” AMRO’s chief economist Hoe Ee Khor said in a blog post yesterday.

In a separate projection also released Wednesday, Insular Life Assurance Co., Ltd. (InLife) said it expects the economy to grow by 6.3% this year on the back of robust consumption and public spending, specifically on infrastructure projects.

“We expect GDP to grow 6.3% this year. Where will it come? From robust consumption, which is the first pillar of growth. And the second is a come back for government expenditure,” ATR Asset Management, Inc.’s global multi-asset portfolio manager Ivan Ante said during Insular Life’s 2020 economic outlook forum on Wednesday.

Mr. Ante said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas still has room for more easing given benign inflation which ATR projects to average 2.8% for the year.

He said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will likely reduce benchmark interest rates by another 50 basis points (bps) this year, based on the recent comment by Governor Benjamin E. Diokno.

Last year, the central bank reduced policy rates by a total of 75 bps, partially reversing 175 bps worth of rate increases imposed in 2018 in response to surging inflation.

For the reserve requirement ratio (RRR), Mr. Ante said ATR also expects the BSP to cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by another two percent.

“For policy rates, we think they are going to cut again two times or 50 bps this year. The RRR, we think they will cut by 2 percent… So that’s additional liquidity in the system (that is) important for growth,” he added.

Mr. Ante said the Philippine Stock Exchange index will likely settle within a range of 8,600-8,800 this year.

He said the peso will likely depreciate against the dollar this year to a range of P51.5-52 per dollar.

Last year, the economy grew by 5.6%, 5.5% and the downward-revised 6% in the first three quarters. The 2019 budget delay was largely blamed for slower-than-expected GDP growth in the first half. — Beatrice M. Laforga

DPWH promising 20-30% cut in EDSA congestion in 2020

TWO road projects are expected to relieve Metro Manila’s main circumferential road, known as EDSA, of at least 20% of its vehicle load this year, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.

The DPWH said the scheduled first-half completions of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link and the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 will relieve EDSA of over 100,000 cars.

Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said in a briefing Wednesday: “By the second half of this year, we will relieve EDSA 20 to 30%. Malaki po ang improvement sa (There will be a big improvement in) EDSA and for the first year starting this year and in subsequent years, we will see continued improvements along EDSA.”

The Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 is an 18.30 kilometer expressway running from Buendia, Makati to Balintawak, Quezon City, enabling travel time of 15-20 minutes for Makati to Balintawak. The target completion date of Skyway Stage 3 is April or May.

The new skyway is expected to remove 100,000 cars from EDSA. Current EDSA usage is about half a million cars daily, well above the road’s estimated daily capacity of 288,000.

Meanwhile, the NLEX Harbor Link’s first ramp will be ready by February and its entire length will be available by March or April. This road is expected to speed up travel from Port Area to NLEX from an estimated 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 10 minutes.

Mr. Villar said Harbor Link will further relieve city roads of trucks headed north of Metro Manila by allowing them a more direct route outside the city.

“We expect 30,000 vehicles a day, mostly trucks who will pass by NLEX Harbor Link… one truck is equivalent to four or five cars,” he said.

These two projects are among the 13 roads and expressways and 10 bridges undertaken to decongest EDSA, worth P384 billion in total. The DPWH said with these projects, “drastic improvements” will be seen along EDSA.

One of the bridges that is expected to drastically reduce congestion on EDSA is the Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link and the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge which will bypass a notorious bottleneck in Guadalupe, Makati. — Gillian M. Cortez

House committee approves fiscal regime bill for mining

THE House Committee on Appropriations approved Wednesday an unnumbered substitute bill seeking to establish a fiscal regime for the mining industry.

The bill, which consolidates House Bills (HB) 288, 560, 1687, 2557, 4541, 4874, 5022, and 5253, had cleared the House Committee on Ways and Means on Nov. 19.

The bill calls for large-scale metals miners to pay a royalty equivalent to 3% of their total gross output. It exempts small-scale miners from such royalties.

Currently, the law imposes a royalty scheme only in mining areas declared as mineral reservations.

The bill also proposes to create a National Resource Trust Fund which collects revenues from mining operations and “extends their benefits to next generations” through educational programs, technological and research programs, health services and disaster risk reduction management initiatives.

The fund will be created from the annual payment of mining contractors to the Bureau of Internal Revenue of an additional 2% based on gross output for large-scale metals miners.

The bill proposes that failure to comply with such obligations will warrant “immediate suspension or closure of the mining activities” of the mining concession holder.

The measure also proposes an auction system for concessions, which will be established by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

“This will minimize awarding of mineral agreements based on asymmetrical information, first-come first-served systems, and patronage politics. Moreover, it shall promote investments in mineral-rich areas through an online portal open to the public” Albay Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda said in his explanatory note to HB 5022.

By requiring full public disclosure in the mining industry, the measure also institutionalizes the Philippines’ participation in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international disclosure system under which participants declare the taxes and revenue generated by such industries. — Genshen L. Espedido

DoTr clarifies airport tally refers to rehab, upgrade projects

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said 120 airport projects, which include rehabilitation, expansion and upgrade works, have been completed by the current government.

The DoTr provided this latest tally four days after an infographic released by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on the achievements of President Rodrigo R. Duterte included “64 airports.” There was no explanation in the infographic whether the 64 airports were built or upgraded during the first half of the President’s term.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles clarified in an interview with ANC on Tuesday that the “64 airports” were not built during the President’s term. He added that what the PCOO’s infographic meant was “projects that were done with 64 airports all over the country.”

“The latest is that 120 airport projects have been completed as of today,” Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran told BusinessWorld in a phone interview Wednesday.

She said the “64 airport projects” could have been derived from the department’s 2018 data.

Based on updated data that Ms. Libiran submitted to PCOO on Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by BusinessWorld, there were 75 locally-funded airport projects and another 45 under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) that were completed from 2016 to 2019.

Among the projects completed in 2019 are the expansion of the terminal building of General Santos City Airport, construction of Lingayen Airport’s apron, grading of Butuan Airport’s runway slide strip, completion of Ipil Airport’s concrete runway, and Marinduque Airport’s runway strip grade correction, among others.

On Jan. 8, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade signed a memorandum of agreement to “intensify infrastructure development that will support the development and promotion of tourism circuits across the country.”

Under the agreement, both departments will prioritize airport development programs in support of tourism development areas, monitor the progress of airport projects in such areas, and explore, develop and increase the value proposition of destinations “for sustainable tourism through the productive utilization of airport assets and route development.”

The DoT has said its target of 9.2 million international visitors this year is driven by more airport development projects which allow tourists to bypass Manila’s congested airport. — Arjay L. Balinbin

SC awards seafarer over $60,000 in disability benefits

THE Supreme Court (SC) said it ruled in favor of a seafarer who had sued his recruiter for over $60,000 in disability benefits and allowances after contracting diabetes on the job.

The court reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) which had dismissed the petition of seafarer Apolinario Z. Zonio, Jr.

The Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Zonio is entitled to permanent total disability benefits of $60,000, a $2,024 sickness allowance and 10% attorney’s fees from 88 Aces Maritime Services, Inc.

Upon returning from his last contract, Mr. Zonio asked to be referred to the company doctor but was refused due to the completion of his contract. In 2013, another doctor diagnosed him with diabetes mellitus and in 2015 he was declared unfit to work by a municipal health officer due to hyperglycemia.

He sought benefits from the agency, claiming that he contracted diabetes while on the job, and the Supreme Court agreed with him.

The court’s third division said that Mr. Zonio’s working conditions “exposed him to physical, mental and emotional strain and stress and that such triggered his diabetes mellitus as proved by the medical records he had presented.”

The court said that if the respondents granted the seafarer’s request for a post-employment check-up, they could have been able to establish that the disease was not work-related.

“Having failed to present evidence to defeat the presumption of work-relatedness of Zonio’s diabetes mellitus, the prima facie case that it is work-related prevails,” the court said.

“[B]etween the non-existent medical assessment of the company-designated physician and the medical assessment of Apolinario [Zonio]’s doctor of choice — stating that his disability is permanent and total — the latter evidently stands,” it added.

The seafarer filed a complaint before the Labor Arbiter against the agency and its responsible officers in May 2015, claiming he experienced dizziness in 2012. A hospital in Saudi Arabia found him to have high glucose readings and cholesterol levels and was advised to observe proper diet and was given medicine.

In 2012, he said he experienced dizziness and blurred vision and the same hospital diagnosed him with diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia.

The Labor Arbiter ruled in favor of Mr. Zonio and 88 Aces appealed the case to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), which reversed the Arbiter’s findings saying the health findings of Mr. Zonio cannot be given weight as they were issued three years after his repatriation and that he was not able to prove that his illness was work-related.

The CA in a July 31, 2017 decision and April 26, 2018 resolution affirmed the NLRC’s ruling. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

DA agencies tasked with raising onion, garlic competitiveness

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it ordered more plans programs to boost the competitiveness of the Philippine onion and garlic crop.

In a statement, the DA said its policy and planning office (PPO), the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), have been ordered to draft and implement “appropriate medium- and long-term policies and programs to enhance the competitiveness of the country’s onion and garlic industry.”

The instructions were contained in th DA’s Administrative Order no. 2, series of 2020.

The PPO was assigned to determine the annual onion and garlic requirement based on five years of data. It will also plan for a support and incentive system for farmers to encourage them to shift to high-value crops.

“We must define and operationalize medium- to long-term strateg(ies) that will, among others, provide the necessary support and counter-funding with organized farmers’ groups, accredited importers and traders, and local government units,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a statement.

The BPI is was assigned to monitor and evaluate domestic production, as well as to ensure food safety compliance by domestically-produced and imported onion and garlic.

The AMAS will undertake the “identification, information dissemination on onions and garlic, and updating of supply and demand (estimates), including institutional buyers, regular price advisories at retail markets, and market intelligence and surveillance.”

Meanwhile, non-compliant cold storage warehouse (CSW) operators specializing in garlic and onions, from the allium plant genus that also includes shallots and leeks, were given a grace period of six months to comply with food safety standards and register their facilities with the DA. All registered CSWs have been instructed to submit their inventory of local and imported allium products every two weeks to the Bureau of Plant Industry Allium Monitoring Team.

The DA said in crop season 2018-2019, the Philippines produced about 208,448 metric tons (MT) of red onion and 31,866 MT of yellow onion, and imported 11,488 MT of yellow onion.

Garlic production was 11,750 MT, while garlic imports totaled 71,048 MT. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Mandatory disclosure: Is there really closure?

It has been several months since the issuance of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 15-2019, requiring all registered domestic corporations to disclose their beneficial owners in their General Information Sheet (GIS). The MC aims to assist in the implementation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA).

Towards the end of 2019, however, reporting corporations with multiple layers of ownership were still seeking guidance on the extent of the disclosure requirements.

The MC introduced terminologies and definitions (e.g. Beneficial Ownership Information, Direct Ownership, Dominant Influence, Grandfather Rule, Indirect Ownership, Legal Owners, Multiple Layers, Reporting Corporation, Senior Managing Official, and Voting Rights) that were not in the predecessor MC No. 17-2018; some of which were adopted from AMLA Regulatory Issuance (ARI) A, B and C, No. 3 Series of 2018.

A notable addition is the expanded coverage of the term “Beneficial Owner,” which now includes nine (9) categories of natural persons, described as those who:

1. own at least 25% of the reporting corporation’s voting rights, voting shares or capital;

2. exercise control over the corporation through any contract, understanding relationship, intermediary or tiered entity;

3. have the ability to elect a majority of the corporation’s board of directors/trustees, or any similar body;

4. have the ability to exert a dominant influence over the corporation’s management or policies;

5. whose directions, instructions or wishes in conducting the corporation’s affairs are carried out by the majority of the members of its board of directors who are accustomed or under an obligation to act under such person’s directions, instructions or wishes;

6. acts as stewards of corporate properties where such properties are under the natural person’s care or administration;

7. actually own or control the reporting corporation through nominee shareholders or nominee directors acting for or on their behalf;

8. ultimately own, control or exercise ultimate effective control over the corporation through other means not falling under any of the foregoing categories; or

9. exercise control over the corporation through their positions as members of the corporation’s board of directors/trustees or similar body or through a senior management position.

Under the MC, beneficial owners are identified through a three-tiered approach based mainly on the natural person’s (a) ultimate ownership, (b) ultimate control, and (c) position in the reporting corporation. This aligns with the nine categories of beneficial owners. The ultimate ownership test covers individuals falling under Category 1; The ultimate control test covers Categories 2 to 8, and positions within the company cover Category 9.

Further, the MC elaborates that the ultimate ownership test covers 25% direct or indirect ownership of the corporation’s voting shares or capital determined through the Grandfather Rule, or indirect ownership or control of an estate, trust or partnership owning at least 25% of the corporation. In this regard, the illustration provided in the MC is instructive.

Once identified, the reporting corporations must provide the beneficial owners’ complete name, birth date, specific residential address, nationality, tax identification number (TIN), and percentage of ownership, if any, in their GIS. Any concern about data privacy is addressed by limiting the public’s access to the page/s covering the beneficial owners’ personal information since these won’t be uploaded to the SEC’s publicly accessible electronic database. This policy is without prejudice to access by competent authorities for law enforcement and lawful purposes.

COMPLIANCE DIFFICULTIES
While the MC is silent as to the manner of applying the three tests of determining beneficial ownership, the SEC has verbally confirmed that it should be applied one after the other.

Based on that, if the reporting corporation manages to identify the beneficial owners under Category 1 on ultimate owner, that information should satisfy the requirements of the MC. However, in case the first test on ultimate ownership is undeterminable, the reporting corporation must determine their beneficial owners by identifying natural persons exercising control “through other means” as described in Categories 2 to 8.

In cases where no natural person can be identified using the first two approaches on ultimate ownership or ultimate control, reporting corporations may resort to the last one covering Category 9. Thus, they may report members of their Board of Directors/trustees or senior managing officials as their beneficial owners.

In practice, however, reporting corporations may find it difficult to follow the above. For instance, determining beneficial owners under Category 1 may prove challenging for publicly listed companies where owners can change daily. Moreover, the descriptions provided under Categories 2-8 for determining ownership based on ultimate control are especially difficult for subsidiaries with multiple layers of foreign ownership and those with numerous corporate shareholders given that countless individuals may fall under any of the categories provided. In light of this, it is highly likely that, for expediency, reporting corporations may directly apply the last approach and just report their Board of Directors/Trustees as their beneficial owners.

Notably, the MC imposes upon the reporting corporations’ directors/trustees the adoption of a written procedure for obtaining, updating, and recording the corporation’s beneficial ownership information. Failure to comply with the directive, among others, shall subject the directors to penalties.

How to achieve ease in identifying beneficial ownership remains a challenge with open issues, such as cross-border corporate ownership, among others, needing clarification and perhaps another circular to put to rest all related questions. For now, can we say there is closure in the mandate for disclosures?

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Isla Lipana & Co. The content is for general information purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

Maxencio A. Rios, Jr. is a senior associate at the Tax Services Department of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

+63 (2) 8845-2728

maxencio.jr.rios@pwc.com

Ceres basking in another spirited run in AFC CL ’20

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

CERES-NEGROS Football Club hurdled another test in the preliminary phase of the AFC Champions League 2020 after defeating Port FC of Thailand, 1-0, in an away match in Bangkok on Tuesday to advance to the qualification playoff match next week.

For Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic, the spirited run they are having in the competition is something they are basking in, taking it as an opportunity to get much-needed experience and confidence as they play, and win over, tough teams.

Captain Stephan Schrock provided what turned out to be the marginal goal in the 51st minute as the “Busmen” went on to defeat the host side to earn a date against FC Tokyo in Japan in the AFC Champions League Qualification Playoffs where a victory earns for them a spot in the group stage of Asia’s prestigious club competition.

By winning over Port FC, Ceres has duplicated its achievement in 2018 where it also reached the qualification playoffs.

The game played at the PAT Stadium was tightly fought right from the opening half with both teams having their runs and chances at a goal before settling for a nil-nil count at the halftime break.

Early in the second half Ceres caught a break when Port FC goalkeeper Worawut Srisupa committed an error that Mr. Schrock and the Busmen capitalized on.

Attempting to punch Mr. Schrock’s center clear, Mr. Worawut instead saw his move backfire as the ball flew into his own goal to hand the 1-0 lead to Ceres.

Port FC tried to get the goal back for the remainder of the contest, keeping the pressure on the Ceres defense.

But the Busmen were up to the challenge as they kept frustrating their opponents en route to booking the big win.

After the game, Mr. Vidakovic said they were still in the process of working to be in the form they want to be in but nonetheless said he is proud of the stand that his players showed against Port FC.

“It was a very tough game, especially in the second half. After two weeks of preparation I think we are still not ready but the boys gave everything in the game and I would like to congratulate them. They really did a good job. We were lucky a bit. We missed some chances. But that’s football. You’ll never know,” said the Ceres coach in the post-match press conference where he was joined by Mr. Schrock.

Mr. Vidakovic went on to say that they will continue to fight notwithstanding the challenges they are facing and hope they get to sustain their winning roll against FC Tokyo.

“That’s (FC Tokyo) another very hard game, even harder than this one. But for us this is an experience for the team. We are always fighting to win, tactically we will be working on it. There are challenges but for us it’s an experience towards getting better,” the Ceres coach said.

Djokovic swats aside Ito to reach third round of Australian Open

MELBOURNE — Defending champion Novak Djokovic dispatched Japanese wildcard Tatsuma Ito 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

The world number two Serb, who struggled through a four-set grind against unseeded German Jan-Lennard Struff in his opener, was back to his imperious best as he fired down 16 aces and racked up 31 winners at a gusty Rod Laver Arena.

Chasing a record-extending eighth title at Melbourne Park, Djokovic finished off with a slew of thumping serves, sealing the match when a scrambling Ito thudded a shot into the net.

Djokovic will meet another Japanese player in Yoshihito Nishioka, who knocked out British 30th seed Dan Evans in straight sets, for a place in the fourth round.

TSITSIPAS THROUGH TO THIRD ROUND
Sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas has advanced to the third round of the Australian Open after his German opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew due to injury, organizers said on Wednesday.

ATP Finals champion Tsitsipas, 21, will meet either Canadian 32nd seed Milos Raonic or Cristian Garin of Chile in the third round, having never faced either opponent before.

“Unfortunately Philipp Kohlschreiber has withdrawn from his #AusOpen match vs Stefanos Tsitsipas due to a muscle strain,” the Australian Open said on Twitter.

Tsitsipas, who last year defeated Roger Federer on his way to the Melbourne Park semifinals, had won both his previous meetings against world No. 79 Kohlschreiber.

The Greek is rated by many as the most likely to break the three-year grip Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Federer have held on the Grand Slam titles.

WOZNIACKI RALLIES TO TAME YASTREMSKA
Caroline Wozniacki refused to be rushed into retirement on Wednesday as the former world number one fought back from 5-1 down in the first set to beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 7-5 7-5 in the second round of the Australian Open.

The Dane had appeared set for an early exit at Melbourne Park, the scene of her only Grand Slam triumph in 2018, but rallied to win six games in a row against the 19-year-old in the opening set.

Wozniacki, who is hanging up her racket after the tournament, made up for her lack of firepower with her trademark defensive skills, forcing the aggressive Yastremska into a series of errors.

She found herself 3-0 down in the second set too but again rallied before converting her sixth match point to seal the win over 23rd seed Yastremska.

Wozniacki will face Ons Jabeur in the next round after the Tunisian beat Caroline Garcia of France 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. — Reuters

Boxing qualifiers set for Wuhan, China canceled over health fears

TOKYO — Qualifying boxing matches for Asia and Oceania for the 2020 Olympic Games that were set to take place in China’s Wuhan next month have been canceled due to fears over the new flu-like coronavirus, Japan’s Kyodo news agency said on Wednesday.

Boxing preparations for the Games have already been upended after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in June took over the competition and suspended the international boxing federation due to issues with its finances and governance.

The IOC have instead set up a task force, led by its member and International Gymnastics Federation head Morinari Watanabe, to organize the boxing events.

The Kyodo report cited organizers as the source of the news. Reuters was unable to immediately contact Watanabe. The IOC did not immediately return requests for comment.

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

The death toll from the virus in China rose to nine on Wednesday with 440 confirmed cases, Chinese health officials said as authorities stepped up efforts to control the outbreak by discouraging public gatherings in Hubei province.

The Tokyo organizing committee has previously said in response to questions on health concerns for the 2020 Olympics that, “countermeasures against infectious diseases constitute an important part of our plans to host a safe and secure Games.”

It added that it would “continue to collaborate with all relevant organizations which carefully monitor any incidence of infectious diseases and we will review any countermeasures that may be necessary with all relevant organizations.”

The global boxing body has been in turmoil over its finances and governance for years with the federation $16 million in debt. It has also been split internally by an ongoing bitter battle over the presidency. — Reuters

Sorry, Yonex! — Osaka sheepish after racket throw

MELBOURNE — Naomi Osaka offered a light-hearted apology to her racket sponsor for throwing a tantrum against Zheng Saisai at the Australian Open on Wednesday as the defending champion overcame her frustrations to set up a third-round clash with Coco Gauff.

After dropping serve early in the second set, third seed Osaka threw her racket, slammed a ball into the court and gave her racket a kick for good measure before steadying the ship and earning a 6-2, 6-4 win on a gusty day at Margaret Court Arena.

“I mean, my racket just magically flew out of my hand,” Osaka told reporters with a smile.

“I couldn’t control it. Sorry, Yonex. I think that’s how I dealt with my frustration. It was a bit childish. I just want to play one match without throwing my racket or kicking it. That’s all I want.”

The match had echoes of her tempestuous third-round win over Hsieh Su-wei at the same venue last year when Osaka was driven to distraction by her opponent’s unorthodox game of drop-shots and slices.

Osaka ultimately came back from a set down to overhaul Hsieh and went on to claim her second Grand Slam title with another stormy victory over Petra Kvitova.

“Yeah, it’s really tough, because you start thinking she’s not hitting winners,” said Osaka, who was desperate to avoid a third set against the 42nd-ranked Zheng.

“You’re the one making all the errors. And you try to tell yourself not to make that many errors, but you have to go for those balls.

“So it’s like you’re walking a very fine line between being very aggressive or attempting to push but that’s her game. So it’s very hard.”

After her tantrum, Osaka was broken again and fell 4-2 behind but shrugged off the setback with a wry smile before blowing Zheng off court in a firestorm of winners.

Gauff, the 15-year-old American sensation, set up a blockbuster rematch with her US Open conqueror Osaka by beating Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 4-6 6-3 7-5 at a heaving Melbourne Arena. — Reuters

PSL: Mika Reyes leaves Petron to join Sta. Lucia

AFTER being a staple of the Petron team in the Philippine Superliga (PSL), middle blocker Mika Reyes had decided to leave the team and join the Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors.

The news was made known by the Lady Realtors on their social media platforms as they expressed their excitement in having the popular player and national team member in their fold.

“Mika Reyes said “Yes!” Yes to taking on new challenges. Yes to a new environment. And yes to being a part of #thenewSTALUCIA. And with that, we officially welcome you to the Sta. Lucia family,” Sta. Lucia’s post on Ms. Reyes’s transfer read.

Ms. Reyes said she decided to move to another team to take on new challenges and get know herself as an athlete better.

While with the Blaze Spikers, Ms. Reyes in three years with the team was a five-time PSL champion, the last one coming in the 2019 PSL Grand Prix.

Now with the Lady Realtors, Ms. Reyes is expected to help the team in its turnaround push after continuing with their struggles since joining the league in 2017.

Sta. Lucia has been reorganizing its roster of late, eyeing to build up a team that could better compete with the rest of the field.

The PSL gets its 2020 season going next month with the PSL Grand Prix. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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