THERE WAS no need for the Ateneo Blue Shuttlers to invoke their twice-to-beat advantage to book the other finals ticket as they delivered a decisive 3-1 victory over De La Salle University on September 2 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) Badminton Hall. This success set up the stage for a championship showdown against National University.
Starting the day strong for the Blue Shuttlers, co-captain Patrick Natividad went all-geared up against JC Clarito and zoomed to an early 7-1 lead. Although Clarito whittled the gap to three at 8-11 midway through the first game, Natividad only allowed five more La Salle points before taking the game for the Ateneo, 21-13, for a one-game lead.
However, a different Clarito faced Natividad in the second game. Appearing more careful and strong, Clarito was able to take a two-point lead going to the half-game break from kills and Atenean errors that slowed down Natividad. Nevertheless, the Blue Shuttler wouldn’t let Clarito gather comfortable distance.
Natividad and Clarito waged to six deadlocks–one extended the game with an even 20-all count. With both sides of the crowd watching in awe with each hit, the La Sallian used the momentum he built on the early-goings with a smash and an attack to claim victory, 22-20, and even the match at 1-1.
Both players heated up in the third game. Natividad and Clarito traded smashes and crosscourt hits that sent both of them working to deliver the shuttle over the net. Only up by one coming off the midgame break, the Blue Shuttler revved up to an 8-1 run that cushioned his lead at 19-11.
Clarito, who was practically playing at a home court advantage with RMSC located behind his alma mater, flicked a four-point last-ditch effort, but it wouldn’t put him close enough to steal the game. Natividad drilled a hard smash that sent Clarito off his feet for his 20th marker and another that forced an error from the green side to seize a one-match advantage for the Ateneo.
For the second singles match, Skipper Toby Gadi took up racket next going up against Kenneth Monterubio of La Salle.
The green side challenged the current leader in the Philippine Badminton Ranking System for Open Men’s Singles early in the game but the battle-tested Atenean still managed to set a three-point advantage midway the opening game. Still persistent to threaten Gadi, Monterubio forced the game to five deadlocks until a 17-all count. Two more points sent the shuttler from Taft needing only two more at 19-17. But Gadi wasn’t ready to give a game away to La Salle.
Gadi hammered a smash down the green side for his 18th marker then drove Monterubio to send the shuttle out the playing field twice for a pair of errors. Both sides mounted a long rally before an Atenean smash capped the first game win, 21-19.
Despite a five-point glut that put Monterubio ahead by four at 6-2 early and up by two halfway, Gadi came in after the break with his foot on a firm step on the gas that drove him through a dominating 12-3 run for a 21-14 second game win that placed Ateneo up, two games to none.
But the first doubles card for Ateneo, Mico Mallillin and JC Carlos didn’t reflect as much vigor as their team captains.
Mallillin and Carlos, whose shuttles just won’t cross the net, fell prey to La Salle Captain Ronel Estanislao and Lance Bautista, who reeled duplicated 21-10 game victories. That match supremacy, however, will be La Salle’s lone win.
Not wanting to waste any more time to end their rival’s campaign, the Atenean co-captains teamed up for the second doubles clash versus Gerald Sibayan and Carlos Cayanan.
The Gadi-Natividad tandem quickly established control over their counterparts. The skippers spewed smashes, one that highlighted a 4-0 spread after La Salle’s first two points. Intimidated, the green squad puked five errors to give the Ateneo the whip hand going to the half-game break at 11-7. La Salle was then contented to single scores in between Ateneo spurts that put them lagging behind by as much as eight towards the first game close.
A four-point Ateneo bomb opened the second game, which limited the now-wounded Archers to only five points midway the second chapter. La Salle trimmed the lead to two at 13-15 but Gadi and Natividad were dead set to take the win in convincing fashion. The duo sniped a hit that kissed the edge of the court then buried two kills after a woodshot by La Salle that sent the shuttle beyond the boundary to underline a 6-1 sealer run for the Blue Shuttlers.
“My mindset is just to play my game. You need confidence when you play, so maybe that’s just his confidence right there,” said Gadi when asked if he was bothered by Monterubio’s attitude.
The La Sallian, who would turn to Atenean spectators and shout after smashes, earned boos from the blue crowd as he swung his racket hard to give the shuttle to Gadi for service after a call by the umpire he didn’t want.
Asked what keyed their doubles win that gave them the finals ticket Gadi said, “We knew that if we cover the front court well, we will be able to control the game, so that’s what we did. We manned the net and it worked.”
“They kept their focus and they didn’t take their eyes off the target. And that’s the same thing we need to do facing NU,” said Coach Kennie Asuncion about her boys’ victory.
Ateneo will begin their title defense against the Bulldogs on September 8 at the RMSC Badminton Hall for the first round of the championship.
