THE ATENEO Men’s Badminton team were defeated by their Katipunan-based rivals, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, in Season 80 of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) by a 0-5 scoreline on Sunday, October 1 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
Today’s defeat sees the Blue Eagles garner their second consecutive loss of the season, moving them to a 3-2 win-loss record in the tournament.
Keoni Asuncion featured in the first singles match, taking on UP’s John Matthew Bernardo. The first set saw both sides plagued by unforced errors early on, as points were put up on the scoreboard by way of net errors and overhit lobs. However, some improved play from Bernardo saw the Fighting Maroon take the match for UP in two straight sets, 21-11, 21-16.
Team Captain Carlo Remo was then thrown into the mix for the second singles match of the day, going head-to-head with UP’s Vincent Manuel. Remo and Manuel displayed resilient play, as both combatants refused to give up ground. However, fatigue seemingly took its toll on Manuel as late unforced errors saw him concede both sets at 21-16, 21-19. This leveled the team-tie at one point apiece.
Remo then teamed up with Asuncion in the first men’s doubles, clashing with the UP tandem of Bernardo and Carl Khristian Clemente. In the tightest match of the team-tie, the two pairings were neck-and-neck throughout the second set after UP claimed the first set at 21-12. Remo and Asuncion’s combined firepower was on full display as they continuously smashed their way through loopholes in the UP defense. Eventually, the Remo-Asuncion duo would do just enough to see themselves take the second set by a tight margin, 24-22. In the third set, UP initially looked like the more dominant team as they entered the interval leading by five (11-6). However, Ateneo soon drew level at the 16-point mark before engaging in a long affair of alternating points. However, UP took back the lead in the team-tie, as the Maroon duo went on to take the set at 25-23, following an overhit lob from the Blue Eagles.
Clarence Filart and Patrick Gecosala then featured in the second men’s doubles game, clashing with the UP pairing of Roberto Pineda and Paul Gonzales. A slow start derailed the Ateneo tandem as they went on to lose the set at 13-21. In the second set, unforced errors after the interval caught up the Blue Eagles as they eventually went on to lose (15-21). This spelled Ateneo’s loss of the team-tie to UP.
In the third men’s singles of the day, Clarence Filart found himself going up against Clemente in what would only turn out to be a sweetener for the Blue Eagles’ day. Filart went on to take both sets at 21-18, 21-13 with the team-tie at 2-3 in favor of the Fighting Maroons.
The Blue Eagles are looking to bounce back from today’s second defeat by locking horns with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers on Thursday, October 5 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
Match Score
Ateneo 2 UP 3
Set Scores
First Men’s Singles (Asuncion vs. Bernardo): 11-21, 16-21
Second Men’s Singles (Remo vs. Manuel): 21-16, 21-19
First Men’s Doubles (Asuncion and Remo vs. Bernardo and Clemente): 12-21, 24-22, 23-25
Second Men’s Doubles (Filart and Gecosala vs. Pineda and Gonzales): 13-21, 15-21
Third Men’s Singles (Filart vs. Clemente): 21-18, 21-13
Storify Link
