CATCHING FIRE at just the right moment, three-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Most Valuable Player Mika De Guzman blasted her way towards a silver-medal finish at the 2025 MAXX North Harbor International Open. The seasoned veteran endured one battle after another in a five-day event that lasted from October 1 to 5, at the Badminton North Harbour Centre in New Zealand.
The Cinderella run, which comes off of De Guzman’s three-peat in the Philippine Badminton Open, added to a list of impressive achievements for the Blue Eagle maestro. De Guzman entered the tournament with a world ranking of No. 222, an assessment that the 2023 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist simply brushed off. Despite the odds stacked against her, the Blue Eagle brought out all the tools for a run of the ages.
Round of 32 vs Chen Su Yu (TPE)
From the onset, De Guzman found herself in troubled waters as she faced off against world No. 48 Chen Su Yu of Chinese Taipei. Undeterred by the massive difference in rankings, the Blue Eagle skipper athlete came out of the opening set swinging to control the game’s pace. De Guzman caught the Taiwanese competitor stumbling, smashing her way to a dominant 21-8 first-set victory, solidifying her tone for that evening.
The Blue Eagle nearly swept her competition altogether, but lost her stamina towards the end of the second set as she split the match at 1-1 after a 20-22 defeat.
In the deciding set, De Guzman saw her 16-9 lead slowly dwindle as the Taiwanese shuttler put the match at a deadlock, 18-18. Determined to advance to the Round of 16, the Katipunan-based skipper forced consecutive errors that brought the match to set point, 20-18. With Chen pressuring De Guzman to make an error of her own, the Atenean athlete shut the door by catching the No. 48 shuttler off guard, lightly tapping the shuttlecock over the net for the final point, 21-19, ending the 61-minute skirmish.
When asked after the match what pushed her to victory, the three-time champion’s answer was simple, “I was telling myself that I can do it, that there’s nothing that is going to stop me from getting this point,” De Guzman shared.
Round of 16 vs Lin Sih Yun (TPE)
Advancing to the Round of 16, the Atenean veteran went on the offensive against her No. 95 matchup, Lin Sih Yun. Both sides of the court displayed intensified rigor, going at each other serve after serve. When the dust settled by the end of the first set, De Guzman managed to escape sudden death, 24-22.
Completing the sweep, the Blue Eagle went end-to-end once more against the Taiwanese skipper, with De Guzman barely scraping past her adversary, 21-19, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals vs Yi An Yan (TPE)
The quarterfinals found De Guzman battling with another underdog, No. 183 ranked Yi An Yan, who shook up the tournament similarly to the Blue Eagle skipper. Despite their comparable rankings, both shuttlers demanded plenty from one another, downing shots from all over the court. De Guzman clawed out of the first frame in a 21-16 victory, one set away from avenging her Saipan International stint.
To advance towards the semifinals, the Blue Eagle staved off a determined An Yan, keeping her offense in check by going rally for rally with her. De Guzman’s timely scoring managed to squeak past her opponent, 21-19, booking her a ticket against the fourth seed of the tournament for a semifinal appearance.
Semifinals vs Yi En Hsieh (TPE)
In the semifinals, De Guzman faced another Taiwanese contender, Yi En Hsieh, in a match that had a top-two finish on the line. Despite being the heavy underdog coming into this match, the Blue Eagle shuttler still commanded the match from the get-go. Energized from her previous war the day before, De Guzman closed out the first set with an astounding 21-12 score.
For a chance to land her best finish in her 2025 campaign, De Guzman brought out a controlled offensive towards the No. 72 ranked player. The battle went into a deadlock in the opening minutes, with De Guzman managing to keep the score at 8-all. Sensing the urgency from her opponent, the Blue and White veteran pushed her adversary to the limit by going on a 9-1 run, 17-9.
Even with Yi managing to keep the score as close as 13-18, De Guzman remained unfazed, going on an unanswered 3-0 sprint that bagged her the victory, 21-13. The grueling win guaranteed the Atenean a medal as she entered the final stretch of the tournament.
Finals vs Tung Ciou-Tong (TPE)
In the finals, De Guzman faced Tung Ciou-Tong of Chinese Taipei in another best-of-three matchup. The Blue Eagle started off strong, taking the first game 21-12 through consistent rallies that kept Tung on the defensive.
However, De Guzman’s pace began to falter after a grueling tournament, failing to match her opponent in the second and third sets, 11-21 and 14-21, respectively. With these results, De Guzman concluded her campaign as the Silver Medalist in the Women’s Singles event of the MAXX North Harbor International Open 2025, capping off an impressive run on the international stage.
The tournament as a whole has propelled the 23-year old to No. 172 in the world rankings. With many more tournaments to go from now until 2028, the prolific Blue Eagle will look to be a threat for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
De Guzman will now turn her attention to the UAAP, looking to lead Ateneo’s charge towards redemption as they face the De La Salle University Lady Shuttlers tomorrow, October 11, at 1:00 PM in the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
