IN A possible preview of the UAAP Badminton Finals, the National University (NU) Shuttlers proved that they were a serious threat to the two-peat hopes of the Ateneo Blue Shuttlers by besting the defending champs, 2-3, at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) Badminton Hall on August 26. It was a clash of titans as both teams came into the tie with perfect 5-0 standings.
Plotting to seize an early lead for the Blue Shuttlers, Patrick Natividad, who would only fare a two-point lead going to the half-game break, stepped on the gas to overtake NU’s Joper Escueta with a one-game lead at 21-13.
Natividad seemed to be in control entering the second frame as he duplicated a first-game halfway lead of 11-9. But Escueta shattered a what-could-have-been deal-sealer by Natividad, who’s rally will only be limited to five points after Escueta’s 13th marker.
The Bulldog then took the game out of the Atenean’s hand as he blasted off an 8-2 run to close the second chapter at 21-19 and even the match at 1-all.
The Blue Shuttler wouldn’t be able to regain momentum coming in the decider. Trailing by three off the half, Natividad was forced to surrender the opening match win to NU at 12-21 after late-game error woes.
Looking to even the score, team captain Toby Gadi came out strong in the second singles match to cure a rather anemic first match showing. Gadi, who was up by two going to the break, flicked on all offensives to force a string of unforced errors from Rabie Oba-ob that gave him a dominating 21-13 victory.
With things now going his way, Gadi took matters on his own hands despite an early 3-0 Oba-ob lead beginning the second game. The Blue Shuttler went midway up by four at 11-7 and dismantled a comeback by the Bulldog who registered two three-point surges following Gadi’s 14th and 20th point to claim an indubitable two-game sweep for Ateneo’s first match win. Gadi evened the score at 1-1.
The tandem of Justin Natividad and Raphael Alonzo, however, couldn’t match a lustrous Gadi performance, as the first doubles card of Ateneo was pestered to committing a series of unforced errors. Going against National Players Escueta and Andrei Babad, the Atenean duo defeated themselves as it took NU only four smashes to claim a one-game advantage at 21-9.
Still with no answers to NU’s tricks, Alonzo and Natividad were rendered a brace for the Bulldogs as they gave the second game away and even allowed 6-1 and 5-0 rolls to absorb a 13-21 loss.
Up for revenge was the elder Natividad, who brought Gadi with him for the second doubles match against Oba-ob and Aries Delos Santos looking for the second Ateneo win.
The Gadi-Natividad team-up imposed control early in the game and wound up with an 11-6 lead towards the first-game break. Then, leaning on their varied services to dictate the tempo for them, the Blue Shuttlers denied a couple of NU attempts to close in and accented a 21-14 first-frame win with a pair of aces.
The second game saw Ateneo and NU battle to five deadlocks in the early-goings before the Bulldogs took the upper hand at 11-8 towards the midgame. This deficit, however, only made Gadi and Natividad more eager for a second win. The Blue Shuttlers broke away from an 8-11 plight and blazed for a 13-5 run to clinch a 21-16 second-game win to turn the tables once more.
Boosted by a turnaround by his elder brother and the team captain that sent Atenean spectators off their feet, Justin Natividad, who was Coach Kennie Asuncion’s final card against the Bulldogs, carried a spurred momentum to the half-game break, which found him up by four in his dispute against NU’s Babad.
Natividad, who spewed a couple of smashes and won contests on the net, then went ahead to take over the first game, 21-16. He was fated, however, to be challenged in the second chapter.
A quick four-point binge by the Bulldog forced the Atenean off his rhythm. Natividad only afforded five markers to the half-game that later left him struggling to whittle the lead. The Blue Shuttler hauled seven more points before Babad would finally take the second game at 21-12.
It all leads to a crucial game in the deciding match.
Natividad and Babad tangled to a series of exchanges until an even 6-all. The Blue Shuttler and the Bulldog also traded roars every time each would land a shuttle beyond enemy lines. Babad gathered some distance going to the halfway mark, which he capped with a net shot, at 11-8. But Natividad made it chancy once more after a pair of placings that put him only down by one, 12-13. What came after, however, doomed Ateneo’s bid for an automatic finals berth.
Babad shoved Natividad to committing two errors that sent the shuttle off the playing court with his violent smashes. He drilled a successful one between the errors to establish another three-point lead.
The Atenean tried to retaliate with a placing and a smash, but the Bulldog had gathered enough momentum to drive him all the way to taking a 21-15 triumph to keep their slate untouched.
“I doubted myself,” said Natividad when asked what gave the game away to NU. “When he was beginning to get some distance, I felt uneasy and I started to question myself if I would be able to comeback.”
“You lost your focus. I told you that you need to put all your attention to what is there and to what’s happening. Remember, don’t let your opponent think that he has you under their control, because when you do, you’ll also think you’re under his,” said Coach Asuncion in her final words to Natividad.
Still with a twice-to-beat advantage, Ateneo will be battling for the other finals berth on September 2 at the RMSC Badminton Hall.
Updated 5:00 PM, September 9, 2012.
