THE BLUE Eagles aced a hectic weekend in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 Men’s Badminton Tournament, sneaking past both the University of the Philippines (UP) on Saturday, September 28, and De La Salle University (DLSU) on Sunday, September 29, with 3-2 team-tie scores in both showdowns at the Camp Crame Gymnasium in Quezon City. The weekend’s results sent Ateneo to a 6-1 win-loss standing and a spot in the semi-finals.
Saturday’s matchup versus their Katipunan rivals UP was marked by a gutsy performance from the Blue Eagles. The First Singles match saw a three-set loss for Fides Bagasbas at the hands of UP’s JM Bernardo, 21-16, 18-21, 16-21, conceding first blood to the Fighting Maroons. Arthur Salvado outclassed UP’s Justin Tercias in the Second Singles match, 21-13, 21-16, to bring Ateneo back on level terms.
The Blue Eagle duo of Jeno Cariño and Keoni Asuncion kept Ateneo’s stride in the First Doubles match, making quick work of UP’s Michael Clemente and Vincent Manuel, 21-17, 21-10. Cariño and Bagasbas teamed up against UP’s Dean Harvey Tungul and John Matthew Bernardo in the Second Doubles match, but the Fighting Maroons took both sets 21-17, setting up a decisive final clash.
The day’s fate rested on Asuncion, who bested UP’s Michael Clemente in a three-set thriller, 21-23, 21-13, 21-16. Despite slipping in the first set, Asuncion found his bearings in time to deliver the team-tie for Ateneo, 3-2.
The Sunday showdown against La Salle kicked off with a neck-and-neck battle between Salvado and DLSU’s Emilio Mangubat, which Salvado took, 24-22, 22-24, 21-3, to hand the early team-tie advantage to the Blue Eagles. Asuncion stepped up to the plate in the Second Singles match against DLSU’s Andrew Pineda. The clash went the distance with Asuncion coming out on top, 21-12, 18-21, 21-12.
Bagasbas and Jeno Cariño tested DLSU’s Mangubat and Christian Bernardo in the hopes of cementing Ateneo’s team-tie victory in the First Doubles match but were stymied 16-21 and 10-21.
Asuncion and Salvado teamed up in the Second Doubles match against Pineda and Joshua Morada. Despite dropping the first game, 21-15, the Ateneo tandem came back to seal the match and deliver the team-tie victory, 21-16 and 21-15. The final match of the day was a showdown between two cousins, Ateneo’s Bryan Bernardo and DLSU’s Christian Bernardo. The Green Archer overwhelmed his younger cousin in three sets, 21-16, 13-21, and 21-14 to settle the team-tie score at 3-2.
Up next for the surging Blue Eagles is a semi-finals showdown. Their opponents and match schedule will be announced in the coming days.
Team-tie score vs UP: Ateneo 3 UP 2
Match Scores:
First Singles: JM Bernardo (UP) defeated Fides Bagasbas (Ateneo) 2-0: 16-21, 21-18, 21-16
Second Singles: Arthur Salvado (Ateneo) defeated Justin Tercias (UP) 2-0: 21-13, 21-16
First Doubles: Keoni Asuncion and Arthur Salvado (Ateneo) defeated Michael Clemente and Vincent Manuel (UP) 2-0: 21-17, 21-10
Second Doubles: Dean Harvey Tungul and JM Bernardo (UP) defeated Fides Bagasbas and Jeno Cariño (Ateneo) 2-0: 21-17, 21-17
Third Singles: Keoni Asuncion (Ateneo) defeated Michael Clemente (UP) 2-1: 21-23, 21-13, 21-16
Team-tie score vs DLSU: Ateneo 3 DLSU 2
Match Scores:
First Singles: Arthur Salvado (Ateneo) defeated Emilio Mangubat (DLSU) 2-1: 22-24, 24-22, 21-3
Second Singles: Keoni Asuncion (Ateneo) defeated Andrew Pineda (DLSU) 2-1: 21-12, 18-21, 21-12
First Doubles: Christian Bernardo and Emilio Mangubat (DLSU) defeated Fides Bagasbas and Jeno Cariño (Ateneo) 2-0: 21-16, 21-10
Second Doubles: Keoni Asuncion and Arthur Salvado (Ateneo) defeated Andrew Pineda and Joshua Morada (DLSU) 2-1: 15-21, 21-16, 21-15
Third Singles: Christian Bernardo (DLSU) defeated Bryan Bernardo (Ateneo) 2-1: 21-16, 13-21, 21-14
