THE STREAK of the Ateneo Men’s Badminton Team ends after getting shut down by rivals National University (NU) Bulldogs, 1-4. The marquee matchup was held earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila.
This loss puts the Blue Eagles in second place with a 4-1 win-loss record in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Men’s Badminton tournament.
Today’s Season 86 finals rematch began with Blue Eagle Robert Ramos conceding to NU’s Lanz Zafra. With Ramos and Zafra having opposing dominant hands, the game featured numerous straight-court battles. Using clear shots to their maneuvers, both players tried to control the pace of the rallies, but it was Zafra who ultimately found more opportunities to smash the shuttle, taking both sets, 21-10 and 21-15.
Meanwhile, Season 86 Most Valuable Player Lyrden Laborte halted NU as he stunned Mark Velasco in the second singles match. Despite Velasco’s early five-point lead in the first set, Laborte maintained his composure and employed wide-ranging shots to recover the lost points. Both players then opted to take their battles to the frontcourt by using a combination of net lifts and net kills. Throughout a series of alternating points, Laborte’s flurry of blows led him to gain the upper hand as he took both sets, 21-18 and 21-11, securing what would be Ateneo’s only team-tie point of the day.
The first doubles match saw an intense feud as Team Captain Pingkoy Salvado and reigning Rookie of the Year (ROY) Lance Vargas clashed against NU’s Zafra and Nestojan Tapales. The Blue and Gold pair overwhelmed the Blue Eagles with an onslaught of attacks by fighting close to the net and patiently waiting for opportunities, taking the first set, 21-11.
Despite the pressure, the Ateneans found the timing for offensive shots and claimed the second set, 21-14. Not wanting a Blue and White comeback in the third set, the Bulldogs cranked up the pressure with multiple smashes to put Ateneo on the defensive. The Blue Eagles eventually succumbed, 19-21, losing their second team-tie point of the day.
Eager to stop NU from clinching victory, Ramos and Laborte took on Solomon Padiz Jr. and Jeno Cariño in the second doubles match. The contest was no different from the first doubles showdown as all three sets showcased an intense wave of assaults from the Bulldogs. Not wanting to let up despite their foes’ aggression, Ramos and Laborte took command of the first set by finding holes in NU’s defense, 21-14. Despite Ramos’ impressive control of the shuttle and Laborte’s arsenal of shots, the Blue Eagle pair faltered to the Bulldogs who claimed the next two sets, 11-21 and 17-21. The consecutive set defeats served as the nail in the coffin to Ateneo’s four-game Season 87 winning streak and their chances to clinch the number one seed.
With the victor already being decided, the third singles match with no virtual implications featured a bout between Vargas and NU’s MJ Perez. Despite Ateneo’s three previous losses, Vargas was determined to secure one more point for the Blue and White. However, the reigning ROY faced a shoulder injury that forced his early retirement in the first set, conceding the match to the Bulldog, 7-12, and resulting in a disappointing 1-4 setback for the reigning champions.
Already having qualified for the semifinal round despite today’s loss, Ateneo will face the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in a Final Four showdown on Tuesday, 8:00 AM in the same venue.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-NU: 1-4
Results:
First Singles: Zafra (NU) def. Ramos (Ateneo), 21-10, 21-15
Second Singles: Laborte (Ateneo) def. Velasco (NU), 21-18, 21-11
First Doubles: Zafra & Tapales (NU) def. Laborte & Bagasbas (Ateneo), 21-11, 14-21, 21-19
Second Doubles: Padiz Jr. & Carino (NU) def. Ramos & Laborte (Ateneo), 14-21, 21-11, 21-17
Third Singles: Perez (NU) def. Vargas (Ateneo), 12-7 (retired)
Current Standings (W-L):
- NU Bulldogs (5-0)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-2)
- UST Tiger Shuttlers (2-3)
- DLSU Green Shuttlers (1-4)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (0-5)
