History made in Augusta

April 12, 2021 | 6:59 pm

HIDEKI Matsuyama did just enough to hold on at Augusta, Georgia, becoming the first player from Japan to win a men’s major tournament with a one-shot victory at the Masters. — MASTERS TOURNAMENT FB PAGE

Matsuyama wins Masters, first Japanese to bag men’s major

AFTER riding out a four-hour swirl of emotions to finally secure history last Sunday, Hideki Matsuyama lifted his cap and gave a slight bow.

With the hopes of a nation atop his broad shoulders, Matsuyama did just enough to hold on at Augusta, Georgia, becoming the first player from Japan to win a men’s major tournament with a one-shot victory at the Masters.

After heading into the final round with a four-shot lead, the 29-year old picked up his first victory worldwide in four years with a 1-over-par 73 in the final round at Augusta National to finish a steady four days at 10-under 278.

Will Zalatoris, a 24-year-old who is not even a full-time member on the PGA Tour, finished in second place at 9 under after shooting a 2 under 70 on Sunday. Xander Schauffele (72), who faltered late, finished in a third-place tie with 2015 champion Jordan Spieth (70) at 7 under.

“Hopefully, I will be a pioneer in this and many other Japanese [players] will follow,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter on the CBS broadcast as he was about to receive his green jacket inside Butler Cabin from 2020 champion Dustin Johnson. “I’m glad to be able to open the floodgates, hopefully, and many more will be able to follow me.”

His own path on Sunday was bumpy. Matsuyama saw his large early lead trimmed to one. He pushed it back to a commanding six shots early on the back nine then had to ride out a late charge from Schauffele, while hitting a ball into the water at No. 15, in order to don the most famous blazer in sports.

“My nerves didn’t really start on the second nine [holes], it was right from the start today and right to the very last putt,” Matsuyama said.

His victory came 10 years after he first competed at the prestigious event when he finished as the low amateur. His best previous finish at the Masters was a tie for fifth in 2015, while his best previous finish in a major was a runner-up result at the 2017 US Open.

Matsuyama’s lead first was threatened early in his round on Sunday when he bogeyed the first hole, while Zalatoris had birdies at Nos. 1 and 2 to pull within a stroke. The advantage went back to three when Matsuyama had a birdie at No. 2 and Zalatoris had a bogey at the third.

Matsuyama had birdies and Nos. 8 and 9, essentially looking unbeatable when he had a par at Nos. 10 and 11. With the pressure mounting from Schauffele on the back nine, Matsuyama had bogeys at Nos. 12, 15, and 16.

When Schauffele’s late run ended at 16, the San Diego native bit the steel shaft of his club in frustration.

Suddenly leading by two shots over Zalatoris, Matsuyama had a par at 17, put his drive at 18 in the middle of the fairway and made a bogey from the green-side bunker to grab his first major and his first victory of any kind since the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in August of 2017. He became the first international player to win the Masters since Spain’s Sergio Garcia in 2017. — Reuters

Alex Eala climbs further in WTA singles rankings

April 12, 2021 | 6:58 pm

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala is now 662nd in the WTA rankings.— RAFAELNADALACADEMY.COM

AS EXPECTED, Filipino tennis wunderkind Alex Eala saw her ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) climb further following a spirited run in the recent W60 tournament in Bellinzona, Switzerland.

The Rafa Nadal Academy scholar is now in 662^nd place in the latest WTA rankings released on Monday, an increase of 53 spots from her previous ranking.

The ascent was boosted by Ms. Eala’s impressive run in Bellinzona where she reached the Round of 16. The event was her first-ever $60,000 tournament.

Ms. Eala, a long-time Globe ambassador, opened her bid in the W60 tournament with a hard-earned, three-set win over Margot Yerolymos of France before dominating Laura-Ioana Paar of Romania in the second.

Her run would come to an end in the third round against hometown bet Simona Waltert, but not after making her opponent sweat for three sets (5-7, 6-3, 2-6), which lasted for more than two hours.

For her efforts, her team at the Rafa Nadal Academy lauded her and expressed its full support for the player moving forward.

Ms. Eala’s showing in Bellinzona, where she was a junior exempt as the world’s number three-ranked juniors player, was a continuation of her solid performance as a professional.

She won her first professional singles title at W15 Manacor in Mallorca, Spain, in January then recorded three consecutive quarterfinal appearances in her next three tournaments.

Ms. Eala began the year at no. 1,190 in the WTA, but continued to rise up rapidly in the professional ranks.

TOP 10 PLAYERS
Meanwhile, the ranking of the top 10 players in the world is practically a steady save for the 10^th spot.

Australia’s Ashley Barty remained at number one, followed by Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep of Romania.

Rounding out the top five are Sofia Kenin of the United States and Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

Coming at sixth is Elina Andreescu of Canada, followed by Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, American Serena Williams, and Czech Karolina Plíšková.

Petra Kvitová (10^th) of the Czech Republic entered the top 10, replacing Kiki Bertens of The Netherlands. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PSC to be locked down for 10 days over coronavirus

April 12, 2021 | 6:57 pm

THE Philippine Sports Commission is set for lockdown for disinfection and cleansing after 63 personnel tested positive for the coronavirus in its latest round of testing, the agency announced on Monday. — JUDGEFLORO

THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is set for lockdown after a considerable number of personnel tested positive in its latest round of testing.

In an announcement on Monday, the PSC, after getting the approval of Malacanang, said it will go on a 10-day workday lockdown beginning on Tuesday, April 13, as it implements disinfection and cleansing activities.

Affected will be administrative offices at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City where 63 persons tested positive for the coronavirus.

For the time being, the PSC said, operations will shift to work-from-home arrangements on the lockdown dates to ensure that delivery of service remains unhampered.

“We hope to break the transmission during those days, to arrest the spread of COVID-19 among our employees,” said Chief of Staff Marc Velasco, adding that heads of offices have already been given instructions on the work-from-home setup and expectations.

Despite the positive cases, the PSC assured that it is on top of things, ensuring that safety protocols are in place and constantly reviewed, just as it underscored the safety of everyone is primary.

“It is for their and everyone’s safety. We all have a family to protect,” said PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr.

Before deciding on the lockdown, the PSC made sure to seek the approval of Malacanang, through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, pursuant to Memorandum Circular 85 issued on March 19, requiring government agencies to seek approval from the Office of the President before any lockdown is implemented. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Ancajas, Magsayo did well in latest fights, says analyst

April 12, 2021 | 6:57 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

TOP Filipino boxers Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas and Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo gave the country twin victories in their fights at the weekend; performances that had one local fight analyst going away impressed.

Part of Showtime Boxing’s offering at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Sunday (Manila time), Messrs. Ancajas and Magsayo were dominant in their respective bouts and churned out convincing victories.

Davao del Norte native Ancajas was a unanimous decision winner over Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez and retained his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight title. Boholano Magsayo, for his part, beat American Pablo Cruz by way of a fourth-round technical knockout.

The wins came after the Filipino fighters worked their way through the limitations and challenges presented by the pandemic, and in the case of IBF champ Ancajas, a long wait that lasted for over a year.

In an interview with BusinessWorld following Sunday’s bouts, fight analyst Nissi Icasiano shared that Messrs. Ancajas and Magsayo had it solid and should see their push forward benefitting from it.

“What surprised me in this particular fight of Jerwin Ancajas was the way he fought. Usually, Jerwin takes a methodical approach, breaking down his opponent brick by brick in every round before fishing for the finish once he sees his opponent is ripe for the picking. In this fight, he stood toe-to-toe and traded hard blows in the pocket,” said Mr. Icasiano of Mr. Ancajas, who recently signed with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) after years of being with Top Rank of Bob Arum.

“In my opinion, he and his team took a different route to make an impression. It’s his first fight under the PBC banner and it’s his first fight in more than a year. Plus, it was aired on Showtime. It’s a big risk, but I am glad it paid dividends in the end. It’s not an approach that I would recommend for Jerwin, but if the intent was to put the entire division on notice and open the doorway to fight the other champions at 115 pounds, he did accomplish that in the fight. On the flipside, PBC saw their ROI (return-on-investment) in Jerwin,” he added.

Presenting the perfect foil for Houston fighter Cruz, Mr. Icasiano said he was not totally surprised that Mr. Magsayo dominated the way he did.

“For Magsayo, I already knew the style of his opponent would favor him in the fight. The result of bout didn’t come as a surprise.”

The analyst went on to underscore that credit should also be given for both fighters’ teams for preparing their wards well amid the prevailing conditions with the pandemic.

After fighting last year, Mr. Magsayo (22-0) stayed in the United States to train under Freddie Roach and Justin Fortune while Mr. Ancajas (32-2) was in the US since last year, training with Olympic-bound Eumir Felix Marcial and Jonas Sultan and under the watch of coach Joven Jimenez.

So what is next for the two fighters?

“For Magsayo, it most likely puts him in a title eliminator next. Magsayo is in the Top 10 of four governing bodies, but he ranks higher in the IBF. I think No. 5 if I am not mistaken. So a battle for a possible title shot in the future may be on the horizon,” said Mr. Icasiano of featherweight Magsayo, who with his latest victory won his second fight under Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions with whom he signed with last year.

The case of Mr. Ancajas is trickier, the analyst said, given the limited fighters in his division under the PBC roster. But after winning his fight, the IBF champ should earn consideration for more top-class fights. Mr. Icasiano, too, said moving up in division is not a bad move for the Filipino fighter.

“Jerwin is in a tricky situation. The only two 115-pounders I know on the PBC roster at the moment are Angel Barrientes and Koki Kameda. The division is obviously shallow. If he moves to 118, Jerwin will get more competitive matchups under the PBC banner,” the analyst said.

“Right now, I don’t see Jerwin fighting in a unification title fight against either Chocolatito (Nicaraguan Roman Gonzalez) or [Mexican Juan Francisco] Estrada unless Al Haymon will pull some strings to make it happen. But the most feasible fight to make if they wish to see a champion vs. champion at 115 pounds is against Kazuto Ioka.”

DeRozan late basket lifts Spurs over Mavericks; Knicks triumph

April 12, 2021 | 6:56 pm

DEMAR DeRozan scored 33 points, including the deciding jumper with one second to play, to lift the visiting San Antonio Spurs to a 119-117 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday that snapped a five-game losing streak.

After a back-and-forth three-and-a-half quarters, the Spurs used a 9-0 run capped by DeRozan’s three-point play to assume a 113-104 lead with 3:22 remaining. Two putback layups by Dorian Finney-Smith allowed Dallas to get to within 114-113 before a three-point play by DeRozan with 1:14 to play pushed the lead back to four points.

A pair of free throws and then a running jumper by Dallas’ Luka Dončić tied the game at 117 with 19.4 seconds remaining. The Spurs called a time out and set up a play for DeRozan, who dribbled the ball on the perimeter before rising up over Finney-Smith to hit the game-winner.

Dejounte Murray added 25 points for the Spurs, with Lonnie Walker IV scoring 13 and Jakob Pöltl hitting for 12 points for San Antonio, which played the first of a road back-to-back that continues in Orlando on Monday.

Kristaps Porziņģis scored 31 points and took 15 rebounds for Dallas before fouling out with 1:14 to play. Dončić added 29 points, Josh Richardson scored 16, and Jalen Brunson hit for 11 points for the Mavericks, who have lost two of their past three.

KNICKS WINS, SNAPS RAPTORS STREAK
Meanwhile, Julius Randle finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists to help the Knicks end a nine-game losing streak against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night in New York.

The Knicks won their second in a row despite letting an 18-point third-quarter lead slip away to the Raptors, who had won the past four meetings between the teams at Madison Square Garden.

Trailing 98-96, the Raptors had a chance to take the lead when Kyle Lowry intercepted an errant pass by Alec Burks. Lowry passed the ball to Pascal Siakam, who then double-dribbled on his drive to the hoop, turning the ball back over to the Knicks with 11.8 seconds left.

Randle proceeded to hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the outcome.

RJ Barrett finished with 19 points and five assists while Elfrid Payton and Derrick Rose each had 11 points for New York.

Coming off a career-high 44 points in his previous game, Gary Trent, Jr. led the Raptors again with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting.

Siakam and Lowry also returned to the Raptors’ lineup as expected. Siakam made only one of his first 11 shots, and went 5-for-18 from the field to finish with 16 points and seven assists. Lowry totaled 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Chris Boucher had 17 points and 14 rebounds. — Reuters

Battle of contenders banners VisMin Super Cup action

April 12, 2021 | 6:55 pm

THE MJAS Zenith-Talisay City Aquastars go for their second straight win in the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup in their game on Tuesday. (Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup)

ACTION in the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup resumes on Tuesday with highly touted teams MJAS Zenith-Talisay City Aquastars and KCS-Mandaue City locking horns in the main game set for 8 p.m. at the Alcantara Civic Center in Cebu.

Winners in the opening weekend of the new regional league, the two teams now look to stay unscathed and grab the early lead in the tournament, which has roast chicken Chooks-to-Go as title sponsor.

The Aquastars lorded it over the Tubigon Bohol Mariners (104-66) in the first game of opening day on Friday. Patrick Cabahug led the way for MJAS Zenith with 22 points in just 17 minutes of action.

KCS, meanwhile, pulled away from the Siquijor Mystics in the fourth period en route to a 66-46 victory. Gryann Mendoza led KCS in the said match with 17 points.

“This will be the real test of who we are as a team. How we will be able to execute on defense will be the key,” said KCS head coach Mike Reyes of their game at hand.

Also playing today are the ARQ Builders-Lapu-Lapu City Heroes and the Dumaguete Warriors in the 2 p.m. game.

The Heroes opened their campaign with a 75-61 shellacking of the Tabogon Voyagers on Saturday while the Warriors bowed to Siquijor (105-100).

Tangling at 4 p.m. are Tabogon and Bohol.

The Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup is a regional league designed to spotlight basketball talents in the south.

The Visayas leg of the tournament is being conducted within a Modified General Community Quarantine area under a “bubble” setup as required by authorities to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.

The Mindanao leg of the tournament is set to begin in May. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Olympic organizers to secure hotel rooms for athletes with coronavirus — report

April 12, 2021 | 6:54 pm

TOKYO — Tokyo Olympic organizers plan to prepare 300 hotel rooms for athletes who test positive for the coronavirus at this summer’s Games but show no or minor symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Kyodo news agency said over the weekend.

Japan’s government is placing Tokyo under a month-long state of “quasi-emergency” from Monday to combat surging infections, less than a month after a broader state of emergency was lifted for the capital and Olympic host.

The Tokyo organizing committee plans to reserve an entire hotel located a few kilometers away from the athletes’ village in the Harumi waterfront district, which will likely cost several million dollars, Kyodo said, citing several unnamed sources.

Coronavirus-positive athletes and other Games participants who do not require hospitalization will be quarantined in the rooms for 10 days in principle, and medical staff will treat them around the clock, it said.

The committee will also prepare about 30 special vehicles to transport the patients to the hotel, according to Kyodo.

Athletes will receive COVID-19 tests every four days at least under rules unveiled in February for the Tokyo Games, scheduled to begin in late July after a one-year delay due to the pandemic. More guidance on isolation and testing is to come in April.

Japan has recorded more than 500,000 infections and nearly 9,400 deaths, public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday, low compared to most other major economies. But concerns about the new wave of infections are rising ahead of the Games. — Reuters

What’s the difference between ECQ and MECQ

April 12, 2021 | 5:31 pm

Run out of milk? Robots on call for Singapore home deliveries

April 12, 2021 | 4:46 pm

SINGAPORE — Hoping to capitalize on a surge in demand for home deliveries, a Singapore technology company has deployed a pair of robots to bring residents their groceries in one part of the city-state.

Developed by OTSAW Digital and both named “Camello,” the robots’ services have been offered to 700 households in a one-year trial.

Users can book delivery slots for their milk and eggs, and an app notifies them when the robot is about to reach a pick-up point—usually the lobby of an apartment building.

The robots, which are equipped with 3D sensors, a camera, and two compartments each able to carry up to 20 kilos of food or parcels ordered online, make four or five deliveries per day on weekdays and are on call for half day on Saturday.

They use ultraviolet light to disinfect themselves after every trip, said OTSAW Digital’s chief executive, Ling Ting Ming.

“Especially during this pandemic period, everybody is looking at contactless, humanless,” he told Reuters.

For the time being, staff accompany the robots on their rounds to ensure no problems arise.

Tashfique Haider, a 25-year-old student who has tried out the service, said it could be particularly helpful for the elderly so they wouldn’t have to carry goods home.

But a passerby worried the technology might be too much trouble for some.

“The younger customers will like it. I don’t think they (the older generation) will, because these are gadgets that younger people like,” said 36-year-old housewife Xue Ya Xin. — Lee Ying Shan/Reuters

Meralco energizes new COVID-19 treatment center in Pasay

April 12, 2021 | 4:07 pm

In its continuing support to the Government and Private Sector’s fight against COVID 19, Meralco energizes a new DPWH-initiated COVID-19 treatment center located at J.W. Diokno Boulevard, Zone 10, Barangay 76, Pasay City. The project involves the installation of six (6) 15-meter concrete poles, six (6) spans of covered overhead conductors, three (3) 100-kVA distribution transformers, service drop and metering facility. This new treatment center is one of the many vital COVID-19 facilities in the Meralco franchise area that are given the highest priority in terms of providing a safe, adequate, and reliable supply of electricity, in line with the company’s thrust to assist the government during the pandemic. To date, more than 95 vital COVID-19 facilities have already been energized by Meralco and these include government offices, hospitals, testing laboratories, quarantine and vaccination centers, and vaccine storage facilities.

Corporate leaders plan new push on US voting rights, will reconsider campaign donations

April 12, 2021 | 4:04 pm

US-election — Flickr / GPA Photo Archive / CC BY-SA 2.0

Most CEOs on a call to discuss a new push against US state voting restrictions said in a poll they will reassess donating to candidates who fail to support voting rights, while many will consider holding back investments in states that restrict voting access, according to people familiar with the matter.

Some business executives are putting together a new statement calling for the protection of US voting rights, the latest corporate backlash against moves by Republican politicians to change election rules in Georgia and other states, the sources said.

About 100 chief executive officers, investors, lawyers, and corporate directors participated in a private Zoom call on Saturday organized by Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld to discuss a new response to Georgia’s election law and voting restrictions contemplated by other states such as Texas and Arizona, according to the sources.

All CEOs who participated in a poll during the call agreed they will re-evaluate political donations to candidates based on their track records on voting rights, while 48% said they might reconsider or reduce investments in states that restrict access to voting. Some one-quarter of CEOs refrained from voting on several questions in the poll.

Georgia’s decision last month to strengthen identification requirements for absentee ballots and make it a misdemeanor to offer food and water to voters waiting in line, among other changes, prompted many US companies, including Delta Air Lines Inc. and Coca-Cola Co., to issue statements criticizing the law.

Major League Baseball pulled this year’s All-Star Game from Atlanta to protest the restrictions.

Republican officials, including US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, criticized the companies for their response, accusing them of wading too much into politics.

Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp says the law is “another step to making our elections fair and secure.”

But the measure has been slammed by Democratic President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and faces legal challenges from civil rights groups that contend it is aimed at suppressing voting among Blacks and other racial minorities in a state that went for Biden in last November’s election and elected two Democratic US senators in January.

Former President Donald J. Trump and his Republican allies have made baseless allegations that he lost the November election because of widespread voter fraud, claims that multiple courts across the country rejected.

On the invitation-only call, former American Express Co. Chief Executive Kenneth Chenault and Merck & Co CEO Kenneth Frazier said they were looking to gather support to back a new statement pushing back against the wave of new restrictive voting-rights bills, one of the sources said.

Some participants in the call signed up to the new statement during the call.

Participants noted that the proposed laws disproportionately targeted low-income areas, and that any civil unrest or attack on US democracy could derail potential economic growth.

“We as business leaders should be much stronger on not allowing people to undermine the 2020 election. The integrity of the system is integral,” Reid Hoffman, co-founder of professional networking site LinkedIn, said on the call. — Jessica DiNapoli/Reuters

After outcry, VICE removes images adding smiles to Khmer Rouge victims

April 12, 2021 | 3:23 pm

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia condemned images published by US media group VICE featuring newly colorized photographs of the Khmer Rouge “killing fields” victims, saying the images were an insult to the dead because some mugshots had been altered to add smiles.

VICE removed the article and photos later on Sunday, saying they did not meet its editorial standards and it was investigating.

The artist behind the work, Matt Loughrey, declined to comment.

In the article published on Friday, Mr. Loughrey said his project to colorize images from the notorious Tuol Sleng prison, or S-21, aimed to humanize the 14,000 Cambodians executed and tortured there.

However, the article caused a backlash on social media after comparisons with the original black-and-white photos showed that some subjects were smiling only in Mr. Loughrey’s color images. The VICE article did not contain the original images.

“To play around by using technology to put make-up on the victims of S21… is a very grave insult to the souls of the victims of #genocide,” exiled Cambodian politician Mu Sochua wrote on Twitter.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture had issued a statement calling on VICE to remove the images.

“We urge researchers, artists and the public not to manipulate any historical source to respect the victims,” the ministry said.

Mr. Loughrey, who in the VICE interview said he had worked with victims’ families to restore the photos, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

VICE removed the article late on Sunday, and on Monday issued a statement.

“The article included photographs of Khmer Rouge victims that Loughrey manipulated beyond colorization,” the statement said, adding they did not meet its editorial standards. “We regret the error and will investigate how this failure of the editorial process occurred.”

At least 1.7 million Cambodians died in the extremist Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. — Prak Chan Thul and Kay Johnson/Reuters