CEMENTING HER place in Philippine badminton history, Ateneo icon Mika De Guzman clinched a historic three-peat in the 2025 Philippine Badminton Open (PBO) Women’s Singles division. Her route to the championship included crucial victories over University of the Philippines’ Patricia De Leon and Marikina High School’s Christel Rei Fuentespina. The close-quarter affairs took place yesterday, July 12, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall, Manila.
Semifinals vs Patricia De Leon
After beating fellow Blue Eagle legend Bianca Carlos in the round of 16, De Guzman continued her blistering form against De Leon in the semifinals.
The two-time defending champion opened the semifinals match with an early 8-3 lead, using drop shots to keep her opponent uneasy. Asserting her dominance, the Atenean continued making savvy plays to set up her smashes, resulting in an 11-6 lead. De Guzman then disguised her drops as smashes to confuse her adversary, quickly ending the first set, 21-10.
Switching things up for the second set, De Guzman kicked things off with powerful smashes to rack up quick points, 7-3. Relentless in her pursuit of victory, the Atenean shuttler utilized her net play to set up quick attacks, 15-6. With the win in her grasp, the Blue Eagle sealed the deal with a cross-court smash, 21-13.
Finals vs Christel Rei Fuentespina
With her semifinal victory in the books, it came down to De Guzman and Fuentespina to battle it out for the championship. The first set got off to a slow start as both shuttlers resorted to returning their opposition’s shots, leading to multiple long rallies. As the set progressed, De Guzman gradually opened up a slim advantage, giving her a five-point lead at the halfway point, 11-6. Having momentum on her side, the Blue Eagle closed off the first set with a 21-13 victory, bringing her an inch closer to another PBO championship.
An intense second set was on the cards, as both competitors left it all on the court. Midway through the frame, both players were still neck and neck, with De Guzman trailing 10-11 against Fuentespina. From there, both shuttlers continued to trade points, with De Guzman refusing to be left behind her rival’s tracks. However, Fuentespina mounted a small lead against the veteran after going on a 3-0 mini-run, 18-15. Remaining unfazed, De Guzman completed a commanding comeback, embarking on a 7-0 run to eventually clinch title number three emphatically, 21-18.
Ultimately, the Atenean shuttler capped off her historic third-straight PBO championship with a near-flawless performance, dropping only one set throughout the entire tournament.
