FRESH OFF their opening day victory, the Ateneo Blue Eagles chalked up another notch in the win column, outplaying the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 3-2. The battle between the Katipunan neighbors took place earlier today, October 12, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila.

This result puts the Blue Eagles at 2-0 in the elimination round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Badminton Tournament. 

Back in the thick of competition, Robby Ramos matched up against UP’s Jewel Albo in the day’s first single match, faltering in two sets against the Fighting Maroon. Falling behind early in the first set, 5-12, Ramos quickly rallied back due to his more aggressive attacking front, cutting the deficit to three, 11-14. However, Ramos’s momentum slowly halted, as his opponent’s precision shots led to the Blue Eagles’ first set loss, 13-21.

Undeterred by his first set loss, Ramos jumpstarted the second set with a slim advantage, 2-0. After an exchange of points throughout the set, the two competitors found themselves deadlocked at 13-all. Hoping to push the match into a deciding third set, Ramos delivered with a strong drive to keep the set level, 16-16. Yet, despite his strong effort, Ramos fell victim to a 5-0 run, surrendering the first match point of the day, 16-21. 

Stepping onto the court for the second match of the morning, Lance Vargas equalized the contest following a clutch three-set performance against Season 87 Rookie of the Year Shan Clar, 2-1. Playing with urgency, Vargas set the tone with a slew of cross-court hammers and powerful kills to hold onto the lead, 11-9. As the co-captain combined strength with precision, the Blue Eagle sailed to a first set victory, 21-14.

However, Vargas was unable to repeat his first set success, as the Atenean trailed for a majority of the second set, 12-16. Struggling to showcase the same precision in the second set, Vargas’s comeback attempt fell short, bowing in the second set 15-21. 

Looking to shake off the struggles from the second set, Vargas opened the third in spectacular fashion, taking a 5-0 lead after a decisive smash. Fueled by his momentum, the Ateneo junior executed a brilliant drop shot to remain in front, 11-7. In spite of Vargas’s strong start, UP’s Clar proved to be up to the challenge, delivering a 6-1 run to place Ateneo behind, 12-13. After relinquishing the lead, Vargas displayed his mettle, going on a 7-4 run of his own to take a two-point lead, 19-17. In the tightly contested match, both players traded blows, but it was a final error committed by Clar that gave Vargas and the Blue Eagles their first team point of the day, 24-22.

The duo of Ramos and Lyrden Laborte took the stage for the first doubles match of the affair, delivering a decisive two-set win over Fighting Maroons Albo and Kervin Llanes. Laborte set the tone in the first set, scoring on an array of explosive hits to gain the upper hand, 8-6. With Ramos concurrently controlling the game in the forecourt, the Blue Eagles surged ahead, 13-8, before eventually pulling away for the first set victory, 21-12.

To begin the second set, the Blue Eagles found themselves trailing, 7-9, as UP’s Albo took advantage of the Blue and White’s hitting errors. Stabilizing themselves, the ferocious duo remained determined, coming out on top in several long rallies to position themselves closer to the team’s second match point of the day, 17-14. However, the Loyola Heights-based squad struggled to convert in the endgame, dropping the second set, 20-22.

Locked in a heated battle in the third set, the Blue Eagles capitalized on their opponents’ inaccurate attempts to take the lead midway through the set, 11-8. Despite the Fighting Maroons tying the back once more at 16-all, the Atenean duo kept their cool, converting on another Fighting Maroon miscue, 20-19. Now at match point, Ramos once again delivered for the Blue Eagles, as his emphatic smash sealed the second match point for Ateneo, 21-19.

One match victory away from capturing their second win of the tournament, Ateneo fielded Vargas alongside Zeth Quiambao in the team’s second doubles contest. Taking an early 11-8 lead in the first set, the Blue Eagle pair continued to tack on the pressure as Vargas’s overhead kill extended the lead, 13-9. In response, Fighting Maroons Mark Bernal and Arjay Lazareto quickened their tempo, forcing the Blue Eagles into multiple errors, effectively cutting the Ateneo lead, 17-16. Going back and forth in the extended set, the Blue Eagles committed a crucial attacking misstep, yielding the first set, 20-22.

A much stronger start in the second set revived the Blue Eagles’ momentum, as Bernal’s hammer sailed out of bounds, putting Ateneo firmly ahead, 8-2. However, the Blue Eagles would once more lose hold of their advantage, allowing the Fighting Maroons to force a deadlock at 12-all. Unwilling to concede defeat, Vargas’s quick reflexes at the net reestablished Ateneo’s lead, 19-15, ultimately forcing a third set after an ace from Quiambao, 21-15. 

After an intense battle in the second set, the duo of Vargas and Quiambao would start the third frame cold, falling into a 9-13 hole on the backs of Lazareto’s inspired play for UP. Unable to impede UP’s momentum, the Blue Eagles committed a slew of attacking errors, widening their deficit to the largest of the match, 10-17. Back-to-back points by Quiambao seemed to signal a comeback for Ateneo, but Lazareto refused to allow the Blue Eagles back into the match, capturing the third set, 21-14, and forcing a do-or-die match. 

Deploying Laborte to face UP’s Llanes in the winner-take-all, the Blue and White kicked off the first set in impressive fashion, building a 13-8 lead due to Laborte’s intelligent shot placement. Laborte would continue to dominate the first set, hitting his opponents with perfectly targeted lob shots to come away with the opening set victory, 21-13.

On the brink of victory, Laborte went rally for rally with his Maroon counterpart, as the Atenean took a slight advantage, 9-7. Constantly forcing Llanes into uncomfortable positions with his fast-paced decision-making, Laborte erected an eight-point lead, 19-11. Finally, with a win for the Blue Eagles on the line, Laborte’s tenacious defense dropped in the closing point of the match, 21-14, rewarding Ateneo with an overall 3-2 win over their Katipunan neighbor.

Following the hard-earned victory, the Ateneo Blue Eagles look to extend their winning streak to three when they face off against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons. The match will take place on Wednesday, October 15, at 8:00 AM in the same venue. 

Team-tie Score: 

Ateneo-UP: 3-2

Results: 

First Singles: Labo (UP) def. Ramos (Ateneo), 21-13, 21-16

Second Singles: Vargas (Ateneo) def. Clar (UP), 21-14, 15-21, 24-22

First Doubles: Ramos & Laborte (Ateneo) def. Albo & Llanes (UP), 21-12, 20-22, 21-19

Second Doubles: Bernal & Lazareto (UP) def. Vargas & Quiambao (Ateneo), 20-22, 21-15, 21-14

Third Singles: Laborte (Ateneo) def. Llanes (UP), 21-13, 21-14

Current Standings (W-L):

1. ATENEO Blue Eagles (2-0)
2. UP Fighting Maroons (1-1)
3. NU Bulldogs (1-0)
4. AdU Soaring Falcons (0-1)
5. UST Tiger Shuttlers (0-1)
6. DLSU Green Shuttlers (0-1)