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Zverev beats Ruud to set up French Open final with Carlos Alcaraz

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Germany’s Alexander Zverev plays a shot against Norway’s Casper Ruud during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alexander Zverev exacted revenge on Casper Ruud at the French Open on Friday to reach his second Grand Slam final and first since 2020, with Carlos Alcaraz standing between him and the title.

Fourth seed Zverev, who had lost in the semi-finals at Roland Garros in each of the past three years, fought back to beat Ruud 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in a repeat of their last-four clash 12 months ago.

Zverev won just seven games when the pair met in the 2023 semis and a similar story was on the cards after Ruud cruised through the opening set.

READ; Alexander Zverev reaches French Open semifinal as trial proceeds

But the German raised his game, reaching his first French Open final and keeping his hopes of a maiden Grand Slam title alive.

Zverev holds a career 5-4 winning record against Alcaraz, including a victory in their only previous Roland Garros meeting in the 2022 quarter-finals.

Alcaraz earlier battled past incoming world number one Jannik Sinner in five sets.

“If you’re in the final of Roland Garros, you deserve to be there. That goes for him, as well,” said Zverev.

“He played a fantastic match today. Played a fantastic tournament in general, I think. I’m expecting a very difficult match.”

READ: Carlos Alcaraz embraces ‘suffering’ to reach French Open final

There will be two first-time finalists for the first year since Rafael Nadal defeated Mariano Puerta for the first of his 14 titles in 2005.

The 27-year-old Zverev’s only previous major final appearance saw him blow a two-set lead to lose to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.

“I was not ready then to win my first Grand Slam final,” said Zverev, the first German man to make the final since Michael Stich in 1996.

“I’m definitely not a kid any more, I’m a little older. If not now, then when?”

A German court dropped a case against Zverev over allegations he assaulted an ex-girlfriend earlier on Friday, after a settlement was agreed.

Ruud was targeting a fourth Grand Slam final, but the two-time Roland Garros runner-up was well below his best and struggling with illness.

“I wasn’t able to play with the kind of tennis I like to play with intensity because I was kind of limited with my stomach,” said Ruud. “I don’t want to make an excuse or excuses, but it’s frustrating and disappointing.”

 Zverev fights back

Alexander Zverev French Open

Germany’s Alexander Zverev clenches his fist after winning the third set during his semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Norway’s Casper Ruud at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday, June 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

The Norwegian seventh seed had not played since Monday after enjoying a walkover in the quarter-finals due to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the tournament with a knee injury.

Zverev had spent more than eight hours on court during two five-setters in the third and fourth rounds, before beating Alex de Minaur in the last eight.

“To go deep and to win a Grand Slam, you have to go through difficulties and you have to go through a lot of ups and downs,” added Zverev.

“You’re not going to win a Grand Slam by winning every match in straight three sets. Some players do, like Roger (Federer) did, Rafa (Nadal) did a few times, but normally to win a Grand Slam you have to go through battles.”

Ruud looked the fresher of the two as he raced into a one-set lead.

But Zverev was much improved in the second set, breaking twice while hitting 15 winners against just four unforced errors to level the match.

A break in the fifth game of the third set put him in control against a struggling Ruud.

He served it out for a 2-1 edge in sets, despite briefly faltering with successive double-faults and having to save a break point.

Ruud took a trip to the medical room after the third set.

But he was broken again in the first game of the fourth before Zverev moved to the brink of the final by giving himself breathing space with another break for a 5-2 lead.

He showed no signs of nerves, confidently serving it out at the first opportunity with an ace.

ONE 167: Denice Zamboanga dominates Noelle Grandjean

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Denice Zamboanga triumphs in ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II. –ONE CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Denice Zamboanga put on a clinic in ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday.

Zamboanga reigned victorious over Noelle Grandjean via unanimous decision in what turned out to be a masterclass outing for the Filipino striker.

In what was supposed to be her coming out party for the ONE Atomweight Championship, Zamboanga vented her ire on Grandjean with a flurry of strikes that damaged her Thai-French judoka.

READ: ONE: It’s Denice Zamboanga’s time, says Joshua Pacio

In the early parts of the fight, Zamboanga kept catching Grandjean with concise hits in the head, resulting in an early-fight damage in the form of a swollen right eye.

With Grandjean’s vision slightly compromised, Zamboanga took advantage and landed even more strikes.

Grandjean had glimpses of chances over Zamboanga when she took the fight to the ground but even then, the T-Rex MMA fighter found counters to avoid submission grapples.

READ: ONE: Denice Zamboanga gets elusive title shot vs Stamp Fairtex

The victory was Zamboanga’s third straight win. She improved to a 11-2 record in ONE Championship.

Prior to ONE 167, Zamboanga was supposed to face division champion Stamp Tairfex for the atomweight crown but the Thailand-based fighter suffered a torn meniscus three weeks ago.

Now with another dominant win under her belt, Zamboanga left no doubt that she deserves the Tairfex match once she returns from injury.

In the main event, ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK. Saenchai defeated Jo Nattawut via majority decision to keep the crown in his waist.

Fencer Maxine Esteban wins silver ahead of Paris Olympics

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Maxine Esteban, left, poses with her silver medal at the 2nd African Fencing Championships. Photo from International Fencing Federation

MANILA, Philippines—Maxine Esteban earned a silver medal in the 22nd African Fencing Championships ahead of her upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics debut.

The Filipino-Ivorian fencer fell short against Egyptian fencer Yara Elsharkawy, 8-9, in the final of the women’s individual foil event on Thursday evening (Manila time) in Casablanca, Morocco.

The 23-year-old Olympian surpassed her bronze finish last year.

READ: Maxine Esteban off to Paris Olympics carrying PH pride

“[Silver medal] in the African Championships’ 24 [in Morocco]! Missed the gold by 1 point but I’m so grateful for this! God is so gracious. Thank you so much to everyone who helped me get this!! To God be the glory,” wrote Esteban on her Instagram.

Esteban, the World No.37, will train in Poland and Paris with the Japanese national fencing team as she prepares for the Olympics.

When Esteban had a short vacation in Manila, she expressed that she is still representing both the Philippines and Ivory Coast.

READ: Samantha Catantan’s Paris ticket draws up potential clash with Esteban

“You can really never take away the Filipino in me and I will forever be Filipino,” she told the reporters when she watched the Alas Pilipinas in the AVC Challenge Cup in Rizal Memorial Coliseum last May.

The former Ateneo star is also grateful for the continuous support of the Filipinos despite her naturalization and she is looking forward to fence with her good friend and fellow Filipino Samantha Catantan in the latter round of the Olympics.

“Everyone who qualified in the Olympics, they’re all really good fencers. Just like Sam, she would be a worthy fencer to fence against. It would be an honor to fence against her. I’m really looking forward if ever that time comes,” Esteban said. “Hopefully, hindi kami magkatapat sa early stages and you know maybe magkatapat na lang kami sa Finals.”

PLDT runs it back with Russian import Elena Samoilenko

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FILE–PLDT import Elena Samoilenko. –PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT brings back Russian import Elena Samoilenko ahead of the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference, which opens in July.

The High Speed Hitters on Friday announced that Samoilenko is playing for their team for the second time after an impressive PVL stint in the last foreign player-laden tournament two years ago.

“We just loved Lena Samoilenko’s quiet intensity so much that we had to bring her back for another tour of duty with the PLDT High Speed Hitters in the upcoming 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference,” wrote PLDT. “Same power, same height, but with more volleyball experience. We’re in! Welcome back, Lena! Let’s do this.”

READ: PVL: Kath Arado, PLDT stay motivated despite early All-Filipino exit

The 6-foot-4 outside hitter soared high in her first PVL stint in 2022, emerging as the top scorer with 213 points in eight games.

Despite the effort of the Russian spiker, PLDT missed the semifinals of the Reinforced Conference with a 3-5 record.

Samoilenko, fresh from a stint with Turan Turkistan club in Kazakhstan, is bolstering a new-look High Speed Hitters under coach Rald Ricafort, the successor of George Pascua and champion coach of Petro Gazz in the last Reinforced Conference.

READ: PVL: PLDT, led by Savi Davison, show promise for next conference

Samoilenko will be teaming up with Filipino-Canadian Savi Davison and newcomers Kianna Dy, who is expected to return to action from injury this conference, Majoy Baron, and Kim Fajardo as well as mainstays Kath Arado and Mika Reyes.

PLDT is raring to end a three-conference semis drought after falling short in the All-Filipino Conference with an 8-3 record in fifth place.

The top four of Reinforced will also qualify in the PVL Invitational Conference in September with two foreign guest teams.

Alas Pilipinas men finish 10th in AVC Challenge Cup

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Alas Pilipinas during a game against Thailand in the AVC Challenge Cup in Bahrain.–AVC PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas settled for 10th place anew in the AVC Challenge Cup men’s division after falling to Thailand, 20-25, 25-23, 22-25, 20-25, on Friday evening in Bahrain. 

The Philippines placed 10th in the Challenge Cup for the second straight year as it couldn’t stop Thailand and its captain  Khonhan Amornthep, who unleashed 30 points in their game that lasted one hour and 56 minutes.

Alas skipper Marck Espejo led the charge with 16 points on a 15-of-30 attacking clip, while Jade Disquitado shone as a starting opposite spiker with 14 points.

READ: Alas Pilipinas men beat Indonesia, advance to battle for 9th

Lloyd Josafat also stepped up with nine points including two blocks. Jau Umandal and Kim Malabunga had eight and seven points, respectively. Noel Kampton made the most of his limited playing time in the fourth set with six points.

Setter Owa Retamar remained grateful to their Filipino fans in Bahrain and thousands of livestream viewers back in the Philippines for supporting them despite the 10th-place finish.

“I would like to thank all of the Filipinos, who supported us. We fell short because we had a short preparation,” said Retamar. “We will come back stronger. We’re very happy because of the support and the level of play here in Bahrain. [The teams are] good and they’re strong. That’s why they are on top.

“We need to build our communication, our pattern in blocking, and our attack,” he added.

READ: Alas Pilipinas men eliminated in AVC Challenge Cup

The Filipino Spikers equalized the game to one set apiece with Espejo ending the close second set with a cross-court kill. But Amornthep was too much in the last two sets, where he scored 20. Jenthaisong Supakorn backstopped their captain with 15 points.

The Philippines gave up 31 errors in the match as Thailand, which only had 22 miscues, took advantage of the former’s error-filled game

The Thais finished 9th after failing to defend their Challenge Cup title last year with a new champion will be crowned between semifinalists Qatar, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and South Korea.

The Sergio Veloso-coached squad had a winless Pool A after losing to World No.32 China and host Bahrain.

Alas drew from its bench players Disquitado and Nico Almendras to advance to the battle for ninth after beating the young Indonesia team in the classification round.

Porzingis a big problem for Mavericks team that cast him off

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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) celebrates a 3-pointer, near Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) during the first half of Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — The Mavericks couldn’t figure out how best to utilize big man Kristaps Porzingis during his three seasons in Dallas.

Three years later, the Mavericks now have a big Porzingis problem in the NBA Finals.

Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the start of the series that he didn’t think Porzingis received nearly enough praise for his ability as a shot blocker and someone who can alter opponents’ shots.

The 7-footer did both in his rousing return to the court in Boston’s 107-89 Game 1 victory, while also providing a scoring punch — 20 points in 21 minutes of action — that jumpstarted the blowout.

It was a full display of his skillset by Boston that was never fully used during Porzingis’ time in Dallas.

READ: NBA FinalPorzingis, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

“He plays his role,” Kidd said. “I think that’s one of the things that’s underrated about KP. When you ask him to do something, he does it. He doesn’t complain about his role. He goes out there and tries to help his team win.”

What’s more, he did it in his first game back after missing more than a month of action because of a strained right calf muscle.

“Even if I have time off, I can jump right back in and I feel the same way,” Porzingis said. “I know how to do this. That’s it, just having that confidence, going out there whatever, first round or Finals, just going out there with full confidence and giving what I have to the team.”

Kidd got to work with Porzingis for only 34 games during the 2021-22 season before he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Wizards. It was an acknowledgement by the Mavs that his use in a system in which he was asked to split time between posting up and shooting 3-pointers didn’t mesh with star Luka Doncic.

“We’re judged if it works or doesn’t work. That’s just part of the business,” Kidd said.

There’s also the risk that trading away a player of Porzingis’ caliber could eventually come back to bite.

READ: Porzingis plans to be ready for Game 1 of NBA Finals vs Mavericks

In Game 1 it did, with Porzingis igniting an early 17-5 run to help Boston take a 17-point first quarter lead.

But it’s what he did on the defensive end throughout the game that made just as much of an impact.

Two of Porzingis’ three blocks were at the rim — one each on Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Green. He also blocked a pullup jumper by Kyrie Irving.

Dallas’ primary big men, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, combined to go 4 for 4 from the field and scored 10 points. But they had no blocks and only eight rebounds.

“He looked pretty healthy to me,” Gafford said of Porzingis. “We have to find a way to match his energy and physicality.”

Porzingis’ presence in the paint also kept Irving and Doncic quiet. The duo, who had devastated opponents this postseason in the pick-and-roll by garnering 78 dunks or layups off their passes, managed only one such play in Game 1.

“That’s what he’s been doing his whole career. He’s a great player. He’s been great for us. The reason why we are here is because of what he’s done,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “What he did for us (in Game 1) was big and we need that for the rest of the series.”

If Porzingis keeps this production up, combined with the Celtics’ other weapons, it may be too formidable for Dallas to match.

But the Mavericks are vowing to try.

“We just have to be better. We know that,” Kidd said. “Boston is a really good team, and so we’ve got to be better on Sunday.

Celtics’ formula leaves Mavericks searching for solution

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, left, celebrates with center Al Horford, center, as the Celtics lead the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Basketball Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — When the Boston Celtics make a ton of 3-pointers, forget it. They’re probably not going to lose.

That was surely something the Dallas Mavericks understood before Game 1 of the NBA Finals — and if they, or anyone else, somehow were unaware of that fact, it was on full display in the opener.

The Celtics made 16 3s, outscoring the Mavericks by 27 points from long range, in their 107-89 victory Thursday night. Both teams have an off day Friday and are scheduled to resume practice Saturday. Game 2 is Sunday night in Boston.

“We’ve got to be better,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Nerves or not being in this situation, we can’t use that as an excuse. It’s just basketball, and we’ve got to be better at the game of basketball on Sunday.”

And it’ll start with doing a better job on 3s — either making more, giving up fewer, or both. Consider these trends for the Celtics this season:

READ: Porzingis returns, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

— When making 16 or more 3s, Boston is 51-6. When making 15 or under, the Celtics are 26-14. That’s still a very good mark, but at least opponents have a realistic chance of winning when that happens.

— When the Celtics make more 3s than their opponent, they’re 61-5. When they don’t, they’re 16-15, basically a coin-flip to see who wins.

— When the Celtics make at least four more 3s than their opponent, they’re 49-3.

— When factoring in both the regular season and the playoffs, not only has Boston made more 3s than anyone else (1,572 so far this season, 24 away from matching the league’s total-season mark the Celtics set last year), but the Celtics also have a better percentage this season than any other club. They’re at .3852 for the season now, a whisker ahead of Oklahoma City’s .3851.

“I think they are the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA, so sometimes (it’s) really hard to take those away,” Mavericks guard Luka Doncic said. “Especially when they have five guys out and they can all shoot. Obviously, we’ve got to make more.”

READ: Porzingis a big problem in NBA Finals for Mavericks team that cast him off

And it was a team effort for the Celtics in Game 1. That has to be what makes it doubly scary for Dallas — because just about everyone in Boston’s rotation was part of the prowess from deep.

Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each made three 3s, while five other Celtics each made two. It was only the seventh time in NBA playoff history that seven teammates made at least two 3s in a game; it was the second such instance for Boston in this year’s playoffs, and the first time it ever happened in an NBA Finals.

“They are going to make some 3s at times, but we want to make them tough,” Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said. “When they are at home, they shoot incredibly well.”

Boston led by 29 in the first half, then Dallas got the margin down to eight in the third quarter. It looked manageable — that is, until the Celtics started making 3s again. Tatum hit a 3, pushing the lead to 16. Al Horford hit another, and the lead was 19. Jaylen Brown hit another; lead up to 22.

Crisis averted. Collapse warning lifted. The game wasn’t in doubt again.

“When they cut it to eight, that’s when the game started,” Brown said. “I liked how our team responded. We stayed composed. Offensively, we got to our spacing and was able to push that lead back out and make some plays on offense.”

Made some plays on defense, too. A lot of them, actually. That was a theme all night for Boston; Dallas didn’t reach 25 points in any quarter of Game 1.

Dallas had five assists through three quarters — the fewest by any team in the first 36 minutes of any game in the last three seasons. The Mavericks aren’t exactly a high-assist team; they had the 19th-most in the regular season, but five through 36 minutes is almost impossible considering Doncic and Irving are on the team.

But that’s how good Boston’s defense was. It took away fast-break points (Dallas finished with only six), and one of the reasons why the final margin wasn’t even larger is because the Mavericks managed 16 second-chance points.

Translation: Nothing came easily for Dallas.

“Everyone was really locked in on the defensive end,” Horford said. “The things that we needed to do, we just wanted to be very solid throughout.”

The Mavericks finished Game 1 with nine assists, five fewer than their lowest in any other game this season. Doncic has 27 games so far this season alone where he’s had a triple-double of points, rebounds and assists — but Dallas’ entire team didn’t manage such a triple-double in Game 1.

“Just great individual defense,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Everybody has to take on the challenge of guarding those guys. They’re an amazing team and they put a ton of pressure on you with their ability to score. Everyone is going to take their matchup personal, have personal pride in individual defense.”

It has been Boston’s formula all season — 3s on one end, stops on the other. And in Game 1, it worked like a charm.

Kyrie Irving has rough opener after boos in Boston

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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving heads toward the bench during the first half of Game 1 of the basketball team’s NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — Kyrie Irving dribbled the ball off his foot, and the Boston fans erupted in cheers. He lost his footing on another turnover, and the crowd went wild.

Even just bringing the ball up the court drew boos from the locals, who haven’t forgiven Irving for opting out of his Celtics contract after the 2019 playoffs. If the Mavericks point guard was hoping to quiet the Boston fans with a big game in the opener of the NBA Finals, it didn’t quite go that way.

Irving scored 12 points on 6-for-19 shooting, missing all five 3-point attempts and turning the ball over three times as Boston beat Dallas 107-89 on Thursday night. Irving had two assists, and Dallas had just nine in all; only once has a team had fewer in the NBA Finals in the last 55 years.

READ: Kyrie Irving’s reflective side front and center in run to NBA Finals

It was Irving’s 11th straight loss to the Celtics.

“It’s not the first time I’ve lost in Boston. I don’t want to continue to make it a habit,” Irving said. “They have had my number a little bit.”

An eight-time All-Star who teamed with LeBron James to help Cleveland win the 2016 NBA title, Irving has since come to be known as much for outlandish opinions as anything he did on the court.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving NBA Finals Celtics vs Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, center, and guard Luka Doncic, top left, watch from the bench as the Mavericks trail the Celtics during the second half of Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

He blew up his relationship with James when he left Cleveland, and then also left Boston on bad terms. Then the player who questioned whether the earth was round sidelined himself for home games in Brooklyn rather than get a COVID-19 vaccine.

But Irving has been a model teammate in Dallas, and has even admitted to some of his previous shortcomings.

Not that the Boston fans will ever let him forget it.

“Being in this environment, I’m used to it at this point,” Irving said. “Over the past few years in the playoffs here, regular season, it’s been the same thing. I thought I was going to be a little louder in here. But I’m expecting the same things. Going to Game 2, crowd trying to get me out of my element.”

Irving spent two seasons with the Celtics, missing the 2018 playoffs with an injury as Boston made it to the Eastern Conference finals. A healthy Irving the next year was supposed to set the stage for many years of long postseason runs.

But the Celtics lost in the second round the following year, and then Irving – who’d professed his love for the city – opted out of his contracts. His returns since then have been ugly: a fan threw a water bottle at him after a 2021 playoff game; a year later, he cursed at and gave the middle finger to the crowd, for which he was fined.

“It’s not the booing. It’s not the missed shots. It’s more or less just our attitude and how we approach it,” Irving said. “I haven’t had the best games offensively this playoff run. … Now it’s our turn to go through it together. And that’s what makes it exciting.”

READ: Porzingis returns, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

Compared to previous visits, Thursday’s game was tame.

Irving was booed at introductions, and otherwise welcomed with a variety of vulgar chants. But most of the focus was on the game.

And that was the problem.

“I thought he had great looks that just didn’t go down,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “He had some great looks at 3. He had some great looks in the paint. That’s just part of basketball. Sometimes they go in. Sometimes they don’t. Tonight, they just didn’t go down for Kai or most of the team, and hopefully we get those same shots in Game 2 and we can be better.”

Boston opened a 29-point lead in the first half, only to see Dallas score the last seven points of the second quarter and then go on a 20-6 run early in the third. With a chance to make it a two-possession game, Dereck Lively II traveled, and then Irving did the same.

A missed 3-pointer and a pair of missed shots underneath by Irving helped Boston extend the lead back to 22 points, 86-64.

And the Mavericks were never in the game after that.

“We did cut it to eight and got the rebound and unfortunately came up with a travel,” Kidd said. “A lot of good things in that third and fourth that we can build on. That’s what we talked about after the game and that’s what we have to do.”

Bolts’ first title could be different from what Newsome has pictured

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Chris Newsome has been in the PBA playing for one team for almost a decade, but a championship has remained slippery for the dynamic Meralco star.

One could bet that the high-flying guard has imagined that special moment in his head one too many times in all of his time backstopping the Bolts.

“I’ve always pictured in my head that my first-ever PBA championship would be through an import conference,” he told the Inquirer with a sheepish smile, as the Bolts lead San Miguel Beer, 1-0, in the Philippine Cup Finals. “That’s just kind of how it was based off of our lineups and how strong San Miguel has been in the All-Filipino historically over the years.”

Meralco has contended for import-laden titles, particularly in the Governors’ Cup where they made all of its first four Finals appearances.

The Beermen, meanwhile, have won six of the last eight editions of the PH Cup, with the franchise owing a total of 10 titles, the most by any team.

Newsome has been a part of all of those four tries. Three of those attempts were with the tireless Allen Durham and the other with sweet-shooting Tony Bishop Jr., and the closest the Bolts came to a crown was during the 2017 Governors’ Cup when they lost to Barangay Ginebra in Game 7 at Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

‘Really working hard’

This latest chance against the Beermen, who are looking to extend their reign for a second-straight Philippine Cup, will be new to Newsome as it will be Meralco’s maiden appearance in the All-Filipino finalé. And this isn’t how he imagined things would be, either.

Not that he’s complaining.

“This says a lot about the franchise. I’ve been here nine years, and for us to be still making franchise history says a lot—that we’re really working hard,” he said.

“Sometimes it hurts to fail or to lose. At times it could be, you know, almost disheartening that you’ve been working so hard and things still (don’t go) in your favor,” he went on. “But all this is a confirmation that we are improving.”

And Newsome knows it would be a shame to let up when Meralco has come this far.

“No stopping now,” he said as he and the Bolts gun for a 2-0 edge at press time. “Just getting started.”

Ramos holds sway and breaks through

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Sean Ramos celebrates maiden pro triumph. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Using another hot front nine to open his round, Sean Ramos on Friday fired a five-under-par 67 to rule the ICTSI Lakewood Championship for his first win on the Philippine Golf Tour carved out against some of the circuit’s best and seasoned players.

Protecting a one-shot lead to start the final round, Ramos drained four of his five birdies in a six-hole span starting on No. 3, before picking up a clutch shot on No. 16 that snuffed out the challenge put up by Reymon Jaraulla for an eventual 270 tally and a two-shot win.

“I can’t put into words how I feel right now,” the 20-year-old Ramos, who had several flings with a win in this young season, said. “This victory means so much to me after coming close several times before.”

Jaraulla also had a 67, but will look back at a bogey on the 16th as his downfall, even as Antonio Lascuña closed out with a 69 to finish third three strokes behind.

Ramos’ week was made in the first nine holes of the well-manicured layout, where he shot a total of 16 total birdies without a single bogey on all four days. He was also bogey-less in the final two rounds, the only player to do so.

“I handled the pressure well and enjoyed every moment of the competition,” added Ramos, also a contender at Palos Verdes and the Philippine Masters at Villamor. “I played strategically.”

Japan’s Ozeki Kakeru fired a 68 to finish a stroke behind Lascuña, with Art Arbole returning a day-best 66 to salvage fifth, seven strokes off the champion.