THE ATENEO Men’s Badminton Team (AMBT) continued their supremacy at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Men’s Badminton tournament by outlasting the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 3-2. The intense Battle of Katipunan took place earlier this morning at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila.
Today’s victory puts the Blue and White’s win-loss record at 4-0, continuing their solid run for a back-to-back title bid.
Ateneo’s clash against their next-door neighbors began with Robert Ramos’ sweep against UP’s Shan Clar. The first set saw a dominant Ramos controlling the pace of the rallies as he answered all of Clar’s attacks and directed the shuttle with drop shots, 21-7.
The second set, however, began with alternating points between the two Katipunan-based players. Clar first gained a four-point lead through well-timed smashes, 14-10. Not wanting to fall behind, Ramos retook control and continued his assault reminiscent of the first set, 17-15. Ramos’ lead continued to increase as Clar’s returns failed to get the shuttle across the net, leading to the Blue and White’s second set win, 21-17, and securing Ateneo’s first team-tie point of the day.
In the second singles match, the Blue Eagles experienced their first Season 87 team-tie loss as reigning Rookie of the Year Lance Vargas succumbed to Fighting Maroon Jewel Albo, 0-2. Despite the early lead in both sets, Vargas struggled against Albo’s defense as the Blue Eagle misfired on many of his attacks.
Exploiting Vargas’ faults, Albo went for multiple net kills and clear lobs to keep the Blue Eagle moving. The Fighting Maroon ultimately took both sets, 21-12 and 21-16, to steal the momentum from the defending champions’ corner.
The first doubles match saw a similar scene as Charles Bagasbas and Season 86 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Lyrden Laborte conceded to UP’s Enzo Rivera and Tonton Bernal, 0-2. The AMBT’s second team-tie loss came courtesy of Rivera and Bernal’s consistent control of the quick front-court battles, supplemented by their smashes from the rear court. Ateneo’s struggle to get clear defensive returns cost them both sets, 13-21 and 16-21, putting the Blue Eagles in a precarious position in the matchup.
Looking to avoid an upset loss, Vargas and Team Captain Pingkoy Salvado clashed with UP’s Charles Alcarpio and Raydric Abinales in the second doubles of the day. The match did not repeat the results of the previous two as Salvado employed an arsenal of shots to pair with Vargas’ offensive capabilities. The duo killed the Diliman-based squad’s two-win momentum by taking both sets, 21-9 and 21-19, to set up a high-stakes third singles bout.
Unsatisfied with his doubles loss, Laborte bounced back and conclusively decided the Battle of Katipunan by triumphing over UP’s Ethan Dupet. Both sets saw Laborte use a combination of net kills, drops, and smashes to prevent any counterattack from Dupet. With his drive to avenge his previous performance, Laborte took command of both sets, 21-8 and 21-8, culminating in a 3-2 team-tie record for another Blue Eagle victory.
In a hotly-anticipated finals rematch, Ateneo will face the National University Bulldogs tomorrow at 8:00 AM in the same venue.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-DLSU: 3-2
Results:
First Singles: Ramos (Ateneo) def. Clar (UP), 21-7, 21-17
Second Singles: Albo (UP) def. Vargas (ADMU), 21-12, 21-16
First Doubles: Rivera & Bernal (UP) def. Laborte and Bagasbas (ADMU), 21-13, 21-16
Second Doubles: Vargas & Salvado (Ateneo) def. Alcarpio & Abinales (UP), 21-9, 21-19
Third Singles: Laborte (Ateneo) def. Dupet (UP), 21-8, 21-8
Current Standings (W/L)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-0)
- NU Bulldogs (4-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (2-2)
- DLSU Green Shuttlers (1-3)
- UST Tiger Shuttlers (1-3)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (0-4)
