World bowling tilt: RP’s ‘Lizas’ fall short in doubles

Veteran duo Liza del Rosario and Liza Clutario put up a good fight but their spirited efforts fell short in the face of superior opposition in the doubles of the World Women’s Tenpin Bowling Championships Wednesday in Las Vegas.

The two “Lizas" initially stood third overall after topping the second squad but torrid performances by bets from South Korea, Denmark and Australia in the third squad relegated the Filipinas to sixth place and out of the running for Thursday’s medal play. Del Rosario carded 1,309 while Clutario tallied 1,244 as they combined for 2,549 pinfalls in the event where South Korea blasted its way to a 1-2 finish at the end of the eliminations. The pair of Hong Su Yeon and Son Yun-hee, seeing action in the first squad, scored 2,616 for first, three pins up on their compatriots Gang Hye Yun and Hwang Sung Ok, who competed in the last squad. Denmark’s Anne Gales and Rikke Rasmussen copped third after pooling 2,608 while the Australian pair of ex-pro Carol Gianotti and Anne Maree Putney, the 2007 World Cup champion, captured fourth with a 2,570 output, 11 pins ahead of the Filipinas, to round out the cast of qualifiers in the medal round. Only the top four finishers play for the gold with the top seed taking on No. 4 and the No. 2 tackling No. 3 in one-game knockout matches. Winners then clash in another one-game playoff for the crown while the losers are assured of a bronze each. “The two Lizas played well and have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just that our foes did better, particularly those who played in the last squad," said national coach Jojo Canare after the heartbreaking day for the RP bowlers. “But we have to move on and look ahead." The other Filipina pairs of Apple Posadas and Krizziah Tabora, who totaled 2,298, and Kimberly Lao and Rachelle Leon, who combined for 2,294, were a distant 60th and 73rd place, respectively. Canare’s decision to combine her veterans seemed about to pay dividends as Del Rosario and Clutario simultaneously exploded with 243s in the fifth game on lanes 30 and 31, vaulting them to third overall at that point. But while Clutario closed out with a 222, Del Rosario capped her six-game series with a 181 that apparently did the team in, despite the fact that she scored better (1,305) than her teammate (1,244). Both of them, together with the small Filipino gallery watching, had to anxiously wait for the third squad’s results for another three hours, only to painfully see that their performances were not enough. But the chase continues for the Pinay bets with the trios competition eliminations Thursday (Friday in Manila). Del Rosario, Clutario and Tabora will team up in the first squad in the morning while Posadas, Leon and Lao compete in the second squad in the afternoon. - GMANews.TV