Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 1758

Nadal exits French Open to chants of ‘Rafa! Rafa!’

RAFAEL NADAL — REUTERS

PARIS — Rafael Nadal exited what could be his last French Open to an outpouring of love and support with a first-round 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 defeat by Alexander Zverev, wishing to be back at Roland Garros for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“I hope to see you again, but I don’t know,” Mr. Nadal told an ecstatic crowd after his straight-sets loss on Monday.

“There’s a big percentage I will not be back here but I am not 100 percent sure. I hope to be back on this court for the Olympics, that motivates me.”

It will the third time since his debut at Roland Garros in 2005, that Mr. Nadal, whose body has been martyred by 23 years of professional tennis and who left the tournament with a crushed foot after his record-improving 14th title two years ago, does not get to celebrate his June 3 birthday in Paris.

The French, who tend to arrive on court Philippe Chatrier fashionably late on the back of a long lunch, skipped coffee and digestif to fill the arena before the king, racket in hand as usual, stepped onto the court to deafening roars.

On a rainy day in Paris, organizers closed the roof, adding to the intimacy of the moment.

“Rafa! Rafa!” went the crowd, again, as world number ones Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic, as well as fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, joined the party.

There was another break for Mr. Nadal in the third set, and some ‘I-can-still-do-it’ fist pumps after a few jaw-dropping winners, but two years after Mr. Zverev left their semifinal match on a wheelchair with a broken foot, the German was too good this time.

There was a sense of anticipation on the morning of the Nadal vs Zverev clash as Ms. Swiatek, gunning for a fourth title here, kicked off her campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 demolition of French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.

Ms. Swiatek has now won her last 15 matches in Paris following her back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023. 

Coco Gauff also made a strong start, dispatching German Julia Avdeeva 6-1, 6-1 for her 50th Grand Slam match victory.

The 20-year-old American, who won the US Open last year to break her Grand Slam duck, is looking to claim her first French Open title after losing the 2022 final in Paris.

Sixth seed Maria Sakkari crashed out of the first round as Russian-born Varvara Gracheva, who now represents France, came back from a set down to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

In the men’s draw, Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who suffered a shock first-round exit at last year’s French Open, ensured a longer stay at Roland Garros this time around with a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win over Germany’s Dominik Koepfer.

Medvedev had leaned on his serve and a slew of shots to comfortably grab the first two sets before a determined Koepfer suddenly stepped up his game.

Koepfer came back from an early break down in the third set where Medvedev’s bid to force a tiebreaker was thwarted when the German broke serve to grab the set.

Koepfer then double-faulted to gift the Russian a break to open the fourth set but got back on serve at 3-3 only for Medvedev to close out the day’s final match on Court Simonne-Mathieu by winning the next three games.

In other men’s action, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, seeded second, downed American Chris Eubanks in straight sets, just like former runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas did with Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics. — Reuters

Cone not in mood for Game 7 vs Meralco

PBA.PH

Game Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs Meralco
(Ginebra leads series, 3-2)

THERE are two ways this could go for Barangay Ginebra.

And coach Tim Cone would rather take the first — tackling the gargantuan San Miguel Beer problem straightaway with a short turnaround time — than the second — dealing with tough Meralco again in a risky semifinal sudden death on the road.

Thanks to pivotal wins in Games 4 (90-71) and 5 (89-84), the Gin Kings, up 3-2, are in position to strike the death blow on the Bolts in tonight’s sixth match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

If successful in the 7:30 p.m. tiff, Cone and Co. seal a date with the mighty Beermen in the best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup finals with the opener blasting off in a few days’ time.

But if Meralco makes good on its equalizer plan, then it’s going down to a deciding Game 7 on Friday in San Jose, Batangas.

“I’m sorry to the fans in Batangas but if we don’t see them, I’d be very, very happy,” said Mr. Cone, smiling but deep inside, really intent on finishing the series sooner than later.

“But if we do (play a Game 7 in San Jose), I hope we can put on a show for them (Batangas fans),” he added.

Ginebra has made a U-turn after trailing 1-2. Now it’s Meralco’s turn.

“It’s not over,” Bolts coach Luigi Trillo said even as he declared complete trust in his charges.

The Bolts could have been the one in this “on-the-doorstep-of-the-finals” situation had they followed through on the strong start in Game 5 that lifted them to a 15-point lead in the third period.

“We’re playing some good basketball but we need to finish it,” noted Mr. Trillo, hoping for the likes of Chris Newsome, Chris Banchero and Allein Maliksi to lead the way.

as Raymond Almazan and Brandon Bates anchor the defense against Ginebra wrecking ball Christian Standhardinger.

Mr. Cone tasked his crew led by Standhardinger, Scottie Thompson, LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar and Stanley Pringle to switch on to “battle mode” from the very first minute, not after three and a half quarters.

“I think our readiness to start the basketball game is really key. Getting off on the right foot with this team has really been a challenge for us and for them, too. I think the team that gets off to the right foot really has the advantage through the game,” he said. — Olmin Leyba

Eala rises to 157th in world rankings

ALEX EALA — REUTERS

UNSTOPPABLE ALEX EALA is closing in on the titans of the tennis world.

The Filipina sensation netted a new-career best in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), soaring to No. 157 after a gallant stand in the French Open qualifying draw over the weekend in Paris.

Eala jumped three places from No. 160 last week, her previous career-high in the women’s pro circuit, for a fitting present on her 19th birthday last Thursday.

A former world No. 2 junior player, Eala made her mark in Roland Garros by reaching the finals after impressive wins against seasoned and higher-ranked counterparts.

She bested China’s Ye-Xin Ma (WTA No. 197), 6-1, 6-1, and Australia’s Taylah Preston (WTA No. 137), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, before falling just short in the finale.

The proud graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain stumbled to world No. 93 Julia Riera of Argentina, 6-4, 6(3)-7, 4-6, for a spoiled ticket in the main draw that could have made her the first Filipina ace to qualify in the said major. 

Still, Ms. Eala proved that she belonged among the big guns with no signs of slowing down nearing the elite Top 150.

Her ascend in the women’s singles, where she has four crowns in a young career, is only on top of her rise in the doubles division with two pro titles this year alone.

She’s also a two-bronze medal holder in the Asian Games, a US Open junior champion, and two-time junior doubles champion in the French Open and Australian Open.

And there is no way to go up. — John Bryan Ulanday

Bill Walton, NBA icon, passes away

BILL WALTON — REUTERS

HALL of Fame center Bill Walton, a two-time national champion at UCLA and two-time NBA champion, died Monday after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 71.

Mr. Walton, who overcame a stuttering problem to become a beloved broadcaster, was surrounded by family when he passed away.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who preceded Mr. Walton at UCLA and was his contemporary in the NBA, posted a farewell to social media.

“My very close friend, fellow Bruin and NBA rival Bill Walton died today. And the world feels so much heavier now,” Mr. Abdul-Jabbar wrote.

“On the court, Bill was a fierce player, but off the court he wasn’t happy unless he did everything he could to make everyone around him happy. He was the best of us.”

“Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He was a regular presence at league events – always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I treasured our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.’

Walton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, who he led to their only NBA championship in 1976-77. Named the league MVP in 1977-78 and the Sixth Man of the Year in 1985-86, he added a second ring as a member of the 1985-86 Boston Celtics.

Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. His No. 32 is retired by UCLA and the Trail Blazers.

The two-time All-Star and 1977 NBA Finals MVP averaged 13.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 blocks in 468 games during an injury-plagued 10-year career with the Blazers (1974-78), San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (1979-80, 1982-85) and Celtics (1985-87).

“Bill Walton was a true legend – an extraordinary player, talented broadcaster and vital part of the Blazers organization,” the Trail Blazers said in a statement. “His mastery of the game not only established him as one of the greatest centers in history, but also led the Blazers to a championship in 1977, where he earned NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.

“But Bill was so much more than basketball, he was larger than life. His upbeat and vibrant personality will forever be remembered and cherished, and he will be deeply missed by our organization, Rip City and all who experienced him.”

The 6-foot-11 Walton, known as “Big Red” for his size and hair color, missed several entire seasons with foot and back injuries that required multiple surgeries.

Born in La Mesa, Calif., on Nov. 5, 1952, Walton led Helix High School to 49 consecutive wins and two state titles before heading to UCLA to play for legendary coach John Wooden.

There, he became a three-time national college player of the year and helped the Bruins win a record 88 straight games, including NCAA Tournament victories in 1972 and 1973. In the 1973 final against Memphis State, he tallied 44 points on 21-of-22 shooting.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who preceded Walton at UCLA and was his contemporary in the NBA, posted a farewell to social media.

“My very close friend, fellow Bruin and NBA rival Bill Walton died today. And the world feels so much heavier now,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “On the court, Bill was a fierce player, but off the court he wasn’t happy unless he did everything he could to make everyone around him happy. He was the best of us.”

UCLA’s athletic department also paid respects to Walton. — Reuters

Ronaldo breaks record in Saudi

CRISTIANO RONALDO — REUTERS

AL NASR’S Cristiano Ronaldo capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style as he broke the record for the most goals scored in one campaign on Monday.

The 39-year-old Portuguese scored a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Al Ittihad on the final matchday to bring his league tally this season to 35 goals.

The previous record was held by former Al Nasr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 34 goals in 2018-19.

Mr. Ronaldo, who played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, joined Al Nasr in January 2023. — Reuters

Angels test Volpe’s hot bat

ANTHONY VOLPE — MATT KROHN/USA TODAY SPORTS/REUTERS

THERE’S been no such thing as a sophomore slump for New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.

Mr. Volpe is riding a 19-game hitting streak and will look to continue to swing a hot bat when New York opens a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, California, on Tuesday.

After finishing eighth in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season, Mr. Volpe hasn’t slowed down in 2024. He most recently went 1-for-3 with a run and a walk during Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres, keeping his average at .333 (27-for-81) during his hitting streak. 

Derek Jeter was the last Yankees player to record a hit in 19 straight games, doing so from Sept. 4-25, 2012.

Volpe also joined another New York legend, Joe DiMaggio, as the only players in franchise history to record a 19-game hitting streak before their 24th birthday. — Reuters

Qualified success

The Pacers most certainly had their backs to the wall as they geared up for Game Four of the East Finals yesterday. It wasn’t simply that they faced the heavily favored Celtics in aiming to avoid a sweep. It was that they needed to overcome the absence of top dog Tyrese Haliburton due to injury. And for all their relentlessness regardless of circumstance, their inability to stay even keeled in the crunch in the immediate past match of the best-of-seven series underscored their need for his leadership.

Granted, the Pacers have the talent to put up numbers on the board even with Haliburton sidelined. Likewise, their predisposition to run at every opportunity places their personnel in prime position to produce. Meanwhile, there is reason to argue that they’re even better on defense sans the newly minted All-NBA third-team selection. Which, for all intents, was why they not only managed to keep pace with the Celtics in Game Three; they actually led heading into the final minute.

The story, of course, is that the Pacers failed to claim the set-to all the same. When the pace of play slowed to a half-court drawl, as is to wont to happen when the pressure is on, they missed a steady hand to direct them. And, needless to say, Haliburton would have been able to provide that steady hand. Hindsight offers 20/20 vision, to be sure, but it’s fair to argue that they would not have been compelled to take a poor shot and then force the issue in their last two possessions with the outcome on the line had he been on the court.

Considering the stakes, the Pacers did extremely well to keep Game Four competitive from opening top to final buzzer. Notwithstanding their handicaps, they even seemed to place some distance between them and the Celtics as the fourth quarter progressed yesterday. Unfortunately, they succumbed to tightness as the clock wound down. Ill-advised attempts and unforced turnovers in the waning minutes betrayed their relative lack of fitness in staying ahead under duress, allowing the Celtics to bring out the broomstick.

Some time from now, when the wounds of an empty conference finals showing will have healed, the Pacers should be able to set aside the countless What Ifs and make a measured assessment of their 2023-24 campaign. And, after all the counting and accounting, they will invariably come to the conclusion that it was a qualified success. There can be no doubting that they made significant strides, and they appear poised to move even farther ahead with a healthy Haliburton at the helm. Experience is the best teacher, and the hope is that they learned from it well enough to do better the next time around.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

No need for sugar imports, millers say

BOC - PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE DIVISION (BOC-PIAD)

SUGAR millers disputed the need for imports of the sweetener, citing improved domestic production and ample inventories.

Jesus L. Barrera, executive director of the Philippine Sugar Millers’ Association, Inc. (PSMA), said in a statement on Tuesday: “Our increased production has filled our warehouses, so there is no need to import at this time.”

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has said it is studying allowing sugar imports during the milling offseason to safeguard against shortages.

According to the SRA, raw sugar production had reached 1.92 million metric tons (MT) as of May 12, exceeding the 1.799 million MT from last year.

Refined sugar output rose to 687,823 MT from 624,389 MT in the previous milling season.

The regulator had projected raw sugar production of 1.85 million MT, with a possible 10-15% decline depending on the severity of El Niño.

“Even with sugar milling already closed for the season, we are confident that our current sugar inventories will last beyond the start of the next crop year, which is estimated to be Oct. 1, 2024,” he added.

The national sugar inventory rose 26% for raw sugar to 531,838 MT, with refined sugar up 35% at 572,398 MT.

“Part of the inventory is the 135,675 tons of imported refined sugar that were brought in last year that remains unwithdrawn and unused,” the PSMA said.

Withdrawals or demand for domestic raw sugar and domestic refined sugar have decreased 4.23% and 7.20%, respectively, while withdrawals of imported refined sugar have risen 16%.

“We will continue monitoring the impact of El Niño on the supply levels in the upcoming 2024-2025 harvest,” Mr. Barrera said.

The SRA has said that El Niño has greatly damaged the cane crop for the October 2024 season.

Batangas, Southern Negros, and Mindanao have reported extensive sugarcane damage due to the dry conditions. — Adrian H. Halili

PHL hotel bookings up 54% in Q1 — Trip.com

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

SHANGHAI — Hotel bookings in the Philippines rose 54% in the first quarter, driven by impulse travel, Singapore-based travel booking service Trip.com Group said.

“We have witnessed a significant increase in hotel bookings in the Philippines compared to last year, and that is a strong sign that more is to come,” Trip.com Managing Director and Vice-President for International Markets Boon Sian Chai said at a signing ceremony on Tuesday.

In the first quarter, Trip.com reported that hotel bookings in the Philippines through its travel site grew 54%.

The Philippines actually lagged the more than 100% growth in hotel bookings in Southeast Asia overall, though Trip.com said the country performed well in 2023, dampening the first-quarter result due to base effects.

Last year, volume and gross merchandise value of hotel bookings, as well as flight bookings in the Philippines, rose in the triple digits compared with 2022.

Trip.com Assistant Vice-President for International Market Yi Ru said that impulse travel influenced the Philippine numbers.

“The Philippine market is very unique. Filipinos are very enthusiastic about social media, so impulse buying is working super well in the Philippines,” she said.

She said that younger Filipinos are more receptive to impulse purchases, which is why Trip.com is looking at releasing a new feature on the platform.

“We will be launching our pre-sale campaigns, and we will have this function on Trip.com platforms very soon,” she added.

The feature will allow customers to buy a travel package at an earlier date and decide when they want to travel and book at a later date.

“This new feature will cater to impulse purchase needs. We are still developing this function, and hopefully it will be ready soon,” she said.

She said hotel and accommodation revenue for the booking service increased 100% in the first quarter, outstripping the Asia-Pacific average growth of 29%.

Red, yellow alerts raised over Luzon grid — NGCP

BW FILE PHOTO

RED and yellow alerts were raised on Tuesday over the Luzon grid, with a yellow alert also declared for the Visayas grid, as the operating margins remained insufficient to meet the grids’ energy requirements, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said.

In an advisory, the NGCP said that the Luzon grid was on red alert between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

It was also placed under yellow alert between 12 noon and 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. and 12 midnight.

The grid operator said that the available capacity was 13,277 megawatts (MW) while peak demand was 12,869 MW.

Yellow alerts are issued when the supply available to the grid falls below a designated safety threshold. If the supply-demand balance deteriorates further, a red alert is declared.

A total of 18 power plants are on forced outage while 10 are running derated, making 3,963.3 MW unavailable to the grid.

Meanwhile, the Visayas grid was on yellow alert between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

The grid’s peak demand was 2,527 MW, against available capacity of 2,885 MW.

During the period, a total of 21 power plants were on forced outage, with four at limited capacity. A total of 587.1 MW were unavailable to the grid.

In a briefing on Monday, Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevara said that red alerts may continue until next week if the power plants that experienced forced outage or derated capacities fail to resume operations.

The Department of Energy is expecting 4,000 MW of energy projects to come online this year, including 2,000 MW from conventional plants and 2,000 MW from renewables. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Crop damage from Aghon at P11 million so far, DA says

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO/EARTH.NULLSCHOOL.NET

AGRICULTURAL damage caused by Typhoon Aghon (international name: Ewiniar) was initially estimated at P11.83 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“In the coming days, we can expect that to increase… Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas have not yet reported,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary and Spokesman Arnel V. de Mesa told reporters on Tuesday.

The typhoon made initial landfall over Quezon province, according to the government weather service, known as PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration).

PAGASA said that Aghon, currently on a track to the northeast in the Philippine Sea, is set to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The DA reported crop losses by volume at 487 metric tons (MT), affecting 432 farmers across 239 hectares of farmland.

The DA had estimated that 199,268 hectares would be affected by the typhoon, based on the standing crop as of May 15.

The DA said that rice accounted for 90% of the crop damage, valued at P10.66 million. Some 430 MT of rice was lost to the typhoon across 232 hectares.

He said that about 99% of the dry-season rice crop had been harvested at the time of the typhoon, with most of the affected crop being early plantings for the wet season.  

“Most of what is planted now is in preparation for the wet season. It is in the early stages of crop development,” he said.

High-value crop (HVC) damage amounted to P1.15 million, with lost volume at 57 MT. Only Marinduque had reported HVC damage as of May 28. — Adrian H. Halili

LANDBANK loans from RCEF top P2.5 billion at end of April 

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

LAND BANK of the Philippines (LANDBANK) said that it released loans worth P2.5 billion as of April 30 to rice farmers and cooperatives, with the loans backed by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

In a statement, LANDBANK said the loans were part of RCEF’s Expanded Rice Credit Assistance program.

The bank said that loans were issued to 15,400 individual rice farmers and 270 cooperatives with more than 21,300 members.

Loans were used to fund palay (unmilled rice) production, milling and trading, re-lending, and acquisition of farm machinery.

“Under the program, 98% of LANDBANK’s direct borrowers are individual rice farmers,” it said.

The bulk of the borrowers were from the rice producing provinces of Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

Loads were also disbursed to farmers from Capiz, Leyte, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, and Zamboanga del Sur.

LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Lynette V. Ortiz said that the bank’s loans help “support to the agriculture sector (which) is crucial in ensuring food security.”

“We are committed to providing continued financial assistance to our rice farmers to help them sustain their operations and improve productivity, especially in the face of challenges including El Niño,” Ms. Ortiz added.

The government allocates 10% of RCEF funding towards credit assistance to rice farmers.

RCEF is a component of the Rice Tariffication Law of 2019, which liberalized rice imports but required importers to pay a 35% tariff on their shipments. The tariffs generated in turn provide funding worth P10 billion a year to RCEF. — Adrian H. Halili

1...1,7571,7581,759...12,814Page 1,758 of 12,814
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube