THE ATENEO Blue Eagles defeated their University of the East (UE) counterparts in a 4-1 team-tie victory on Friday, September 29 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
This win puts the Blue Eagles at a 3-0 win-loss record in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Badminton tournament.
The first singles match saw Blue Eagles Captain Carlo Remo take on UE’s AJ Manlalangit. Remo, looking to set the tone for the upcoming matches, exerted his dominance from the get-go, managing to take the first match in consecutive sets at 21-10, 21-10.
Blue Eagle Clarence Filart, on the other hand, suited up for the Blue and White in the second singles match of the team-tie against Red Warrior Benjamin Silva. Aggressive yet tempered, Filart outplayed Silva in almost every aspect, claiming the match victory after 21-8, 21-10 finishes.
Remo took to the court alongside teammate Keoni Asuncion for the first doubles match against the UE duo of Clarence Camacho and Robert Barretto. The Blue and White tandem looked to finish the tie early with a win in the match. Despite facing difficulty dispatching the Red Warriors early in the first set, Remo and Asuncion found their groove to claim the win in straight sets, 21-16, 21-15, handing Ateneo the third team-tie victory in as many played.
The second doubles of the team-tie saw rookie shuttler Sito Fernandez make his UAAP debut for the Ateneo alongside veteran Filart, with the pair facing Red Warriors Manlalangit and Kenneth Cruz. Fernandez produced a dazzling display, particularly in front of the net where he managed a good number of net-kills to repel pressure in either set, 21-16, 21-19.
Last season’s Blue Eagles Captain Sean Chan aimed to close out an outstanding performance for the team in the last singles of the day against UE’s AJ David. Despite holding a lead all throughout the first set, Chan faced underwhelming pressure against David who eventually outmatched the Blue Eagle for his team’s only win. The second set told a similar story with Chan conceding once more. The match finished 20-22, 16-21, ultimately giving Ateneo a 4-1 team-tie standing.
Reflecting on a dominant display from the Blue Eagles, Team Captain Remo was adamant to heap praise on all of his teammates. Remo also discussed the importance of the win for the team. “It was a great win especially with the next two games, NU and UP. It was a gauge for us today,” he said.
Speaking on the importance of building on their performance Remo said, “We will just enjoy every shot we make while playing for every point.”
The Blue Eagles will face National University (NU) on Saturday, September 30 at 8:00 AM at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila
Match Score
Ateneo-UE: 4-1
Set Scores
First Men’s Singles (Remo vs. Manlalangit): 21-10, 21-10
Second Men’s Singles (Filart vs. Silva): 21-8, 21-10
First Men’s Doubles (Remo and Asuncion vs. Camacho and Barretto): 21-16, 21-15
Second Men’s Doubles (Fernandez and Filart vs. Manlalangit and Cruz): 21-16, 21-19
Third Men’s Singles (Chan vs. David): 20-22, 16-21
