Hidada clinched at least a tie for the fourth semifinal berth in the Inter-Company Bonafide Division with a 96-71 victory over Almarai at the weekend in the 2012 Boy Teves Basketball Tournament organized by by Overseas Filipino Basketball League (OFBL) at the Time-out Sports Academy on Television Street, Ghulail District on the outskirts of Jeddah.
It was Hidada’s fourth win in seven games in a tie for third and fourth with Almarai. Rabya, a 64-62 winner over GCT and with a game in hand, leads the division on 5-1 with GCT on 5-2 in the tournament sponsored by Al-Zugbi Sports Tailoring, Amaia Land and Art’s Cuisine.
Tropapips are poised to become the waiting finalist in the Inter-Commercial B after notching their fifth straight victory, 82-73 over V-Cool. Their last game, which they are expected to win, against lowly Jica is nothing but a formality in their march to the final.
Best Player Jay-r Carbonel scored 29 points while dominating both boards at the vanguard of Hidada which played high intensity basketball all the way.
Minoza scored 20 points while Lacson and Yanoc combined for 21 points for Hidada whose coach Jhone Christopher Acas said “the boys were working so hard during our practices. Winning four straight after losing the first three games will boost their confidence especially we are in the last stage of the eliminations of the tournament.”
Compass Ocean Logistics eliminated Nesma with an 80-62 victory in their match.
Julia again took charge for Compass hitting 23 points. Early in the first half both teams really played well but in the third quarter Julia and Cartagena hit their strides eluding their defenders for drives to the basket and hitting midrange jumpers. Padernal had 13 and Ramos 12 for Compass.
Paul Taguba had another good game for Tropapips scoring 22 points and grabbing Best Player honors. Veteran Edwin Gadingan added 18 points and Dorado 16 for Tropapips.
Rabya’s Salud was named Best Player of the game with 19 points.
In other games, BHBC showed no mercy in a 91-68 massacre of Jica while G4S downed Jollibee 67-61.
The scores:
Hidada (96) Carbonel 29, Minoza 20, Pasculado 14, Lacson 11, Yanoc 10, Yasser 4, Conchas 4, Taneo 4
Almarai (71) Regondola 13, Trinidad 11, Bermillo 10, Gutierrez 10, Mc Tito 8, Valencia 5, Caga 5, Omictin 4, Gaciles 3, Inieto 2
Compass (80) Julia 23, Cartagena 19, Padernal 13, Ramos 12, Sarangay 5, Guevarra 4, Aquino 2, Sumikiab 2
Nesma (62) Pattad 16, Mercado 14, Tobeo 9, Lusong 8, Villanueva 5, Sales 4, Enriquez 3, Querobin 3
Tropapips (82) Taguba 22, Gadingan 18, Dorado 16, Mercado 10, Delacruz 5, Mohammad 5, Baluyot 3, Agustin 2, Perez 1
V-Cool (73) Caberte 19, Malit 10, Tobeo 10, Dhen 9, Martin 7, Diaz 7, Layosa 6, Taguillao 5
Hidada, Tropapips score key victories in OFBL
Hidada, Tropapips score key victories in OFBL
Sabalenka powers past Osaka into Indian Wells quarter-finals
- Sabalenka wrapped up the first set with two breaks of serve before Osaka began to find her rhythm
INDIAN WELLS, United States: World number one Aryna Sabalenka powered into the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Tuesday, beating former champion Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in a battle of Grand Slam winners.
It was another straightforward, straight-sets victory for Sabalenka, who fired 31 winners with eight aces.
“Overall I’m happy that I put so much pressure on her, that I brought variety today on the court,” said Sabalenka, who mixed her booming groundstrokes with effective forays to the net.
“I think she was a little confused in the key moments, and I’m happy to see that,” Sabalenka said. “I’m happy that my serve worked well, on the return I played really great tennis.”
Sabalenka wrapped up the first set with two breaks of serve before Osaka began to find her rhythm.
But the Japanese star was unable to crack the serve of Sabalenka, who saved both break points she faced in the second set and grabbed a break for 4-3 with a pair of forehand winners.
It was just the second meeting between the two, both four-time Grand Slam champions.
Osaka won the first back in 2018 on the way to her first major title at the US Open.
“That’s actually crazy,” Sabalenka said of the fact they haven’t met more often. But she predicted there were more clashes in their future as Osaka, now ranked 16th, regains her momentum on the WTA Tour after taking off all of 2023 and having daughter, Shai, in July of that year.
Sabalenka, runner-up at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2025, will continue her pursuit of a first title in the prestigious ATP and WTA Masters 1000 event against either sixth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova or 10th-seeded Canadian teen Victoria Mboko.
Australian qualifier Talia Gibson’s dream run in the California desert continued with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory over seventh-ranked Italian Jasmine Paolini.
The 21-year-old’s first victory over a top-10 player propelled her into her first WTA quarter-final, where she’ll face either Czech Linda Noskova or Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.
Gibson, ranked 112th, used a late break to pocket the first set, closing it out with her 18th winner of the opening frame.
Paolini sped to a 3-0 lead in the second as Gibson’s errors mounted and it looked as if the experienced Italian, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, had seized control.
But Gibson unleashed a barrage of winners in the third, including a stinging forehand service return on match point.
“Honestly, just completely speechless,” said Gibson, who beat top-20 players Ekaterina Alexandrova and Clara Tauson on the way to the fourth round.
