NO SINGLE game was dropped by the Ateneo Men’s Badminton Team as they dominated the University of the East (UE), 5-0, in their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Badminton tournament debut on Monday, September 24, 2018, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
In the first singles match, Carlo Remo got the blue shuttlers started as he defeated UE’s Benjamin Silva in consecutive sets with his aggressive approach at the net. He took the first set, 21-14, and finished the match off in the second set, 21-11.
Season 79 Rookie of the Year Keoni Asuncion picked up from where Remo left off, dominating Edward Adriano in the second match. Asuncion took control from the start en route to a 21-10 first set victory. In the second set, the Blue Eagle found himself leading at the interval 11-6. He then tallied an impressive 10-point spurt on his way to a 21-6 win.
In the first doubles match, veterans Sean Chan and Fides Bagasbas cruised to a convincing win to secure the team-tie victory. The duo gained steam early on in the first set and never looked back, minimizing errors and taking advantage of good opportunities at the net to close out the match, 21-17 and 21-15 respectively.
Remo and Asuncion returned to the court to take on UE’s Andre Donesa and Rojan Gamil. The Blue and White duo easily overpowered their counterparts, as they cruised to a 21-5 first set win and a 21-9 clincher.
For the day’s last match, Fides Bagasbas bested Christian Lloyd Garcia in the third singles bout. Bagasbas put on a dominant performance in the first set, racing off to a 21-6 win. Despite a spirited comeback from Garcia deep in the second set, Bagasbas took over and went on a three-point run to claim the set at 21-18.
Asuncion praised his teammates for their stellar start, but noted that it took a bit of time for them to adjust to the pace of the game. Ateneo Head Coach Kennie Asuncion-Robles also shared the mindset of her team coming into Season 81. “I think [they] are very hungry in a sense that they have their own targets and a target as a team,” she said.
This team-tie win leaves the blue shuttlers with a 1-0 record this season. Their next team-tie will be against four-time defending champion National University (NU), 8:00 AM, Thursday, September 27, 2018.
Team-tie score: Ateneo 5 UE 0
Set scores:
1st Singles: Carlo Remo def. Benjamin Silva, 21-14, 21-11
2nd Singles: Keoni Asuncion def. Edward Adriano, 21-10, 21-6
1st Doubles: Fides Bagasbas & Sean Chan def. Christian Garcia & Benjamin Silva, 21-17, 21-15
2nd Doubles: Keoni Asuncion & Carlo Remo def. Andre Donesa & Rohan Gamil, 21-5, 21-9
3rd Singles: Fides Bagasbas def. Christian Garcia, 21-6, 21-18
