Hangzhou Asiad Fun Run achieves goal in Tagaytay

TAGAYTAY City’s invitingly cool weather provided the perfect condition for the Philippine Olympic Committee’s successful hosting of the Hangzhou Asian Games Fun Run with more than 500 runners participating in the ceremonial campaign aimed to promote the games in September.

The field included some of the country’s medalists in last month’s Cambodia Southeast Asian Games, representatives from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and Olympic Council of Asia and students from the host city who gamely answered the gun at exactly 6 a.m.

“We are proud that the POC, Tagaytay City and the country have become part of this symbolic fun run that not only helps promote the Asian Games but also reiterates the Philippines’ very important and historic role why these very games were organized more than a century ago,” said POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who’s also the mayor of Tagaytay City.

The Philippines is acknowledged as the birth place of the Asian Games when the first Far Eastern Olympic Games were staged in January and February 1913 in the very same Malate area where the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex stands.

“Everything’s perfect, Tagaytay City is perfect for this fun run,” Tolentino said moments before he was joined by HAGOC HR Director Chen Qiufang flagged off the runners in waves for the 6K, 3K and 1K categories.

Coupled with the fun run was Tagaytay City’s hosting of the Hangzhou Asian Games Children’s Art Competition where select masterpieces depicting the games were picked by POC, HAGOC and OCA officials from dozens of entries sent by Tagaytay City school children.

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Meanwhile, Rose Zhang marked her pro debut in smashing fashion, bucking a birdie-less closing 74 then edging fellow American Jennifer Kupcho in the second sudden death hole to snare the LPGA crown in the centerpiece event.

Kupcho rallied with a second straight 69 to tie Zhang at nine-under 279. But after both traded scrambling pars on the first playoff hole, No. 18, Zhang hacked out a solid hybrid shot to within 10 feet while Kupcho came up short of her approach and putted way past the hole and failed to save par.

Free of any pressure, the 20-year-old Zhang, with 12 wins at Stanford U, two national championships, an Augusta National Women’s Amateur title, a US Girls’ Junior tiara and a US Women’s Amateur victory, twoputted for par for her first pro victory worth $412,500.

She has also accepted an immediate LPGA membership.

Yuka Saso, on the other hand, carded a 70 and finished tied at seventh at 282 with South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai and Leona Maguire of Ireland after a 64 and 67, respectively.

Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0.

“The clash we’ve been all waiting for,” said Tsitsipas, the Greek fifth seed who has lost all four meetings with Alcaraz. “I think everyone was expecting it, weren’t they? And it’s here. It’s game on.”

Sabalenka tested but moves on

Aryna Sabalenka beat 2018 finalist Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a topsyturvy encounter in the night session— the first women’s match to feature in the primetime slot this year.

Australian Open champion Sabalenka surged into a 5-0 lead in the opener but Stephens saved four set points as she reeled off five games on the bounce to level.

Second seed Sabalenka eventually edged the tie-break and again held off Stephens in a tight second set to continue her best run in Paris.

The Belarusian goes into a politicallycharged duel with Elina Svitolina who, playing her first Grand Slam since becoming a mother, reached the quarterfinals for the fourth time.

The Ukrainian defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) for a seventh win in seven meetings against the Russian who was a semi-finalist last year.

As with all her matches, Svitolina opted not to shake hands with her Russian opponent in protest at the war in Ukraine. Belarus is also a key military ally of Moscow.

Kasatkina still gave her rival a friendly thumbs-up. AFP

Manager Wissam Trkm ani of Lebanon and Media and Broadcast Director Jeans Jhou Jiann of China also graced the ceremony, along with Philippine-based Chinese representing the HAGOC. Among those who joined the fun run were Cambodia SEA Games medalists Ja- son Balabal (wrestling), Sam Morrison (taekwondo), Jasmine Alkhaldi (swimming), Agatha Wong (wushu), Precious Cabuya and Mark Julius Rodelas (obstacle sports), as well as Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial (boxing), Nikko Huelgas (triathlon) and Cheska Altomonte (softball).