SARAH Joy Barredo long waited for the day of redemption after a forgettable loss to her toughest rival.
The 16-year-old national team standout got her wish Saturday, pulling off a come-from-behind 18-21, 21-16, 21-17 win to dethrone defending champion Gelita Castilo of University of the Philippines in the 2015 Bingo Bonanza National Open Badminton Tournament.
Ranked No. 2 in the week-long meet, Barredo shrugged off the discomfort in her right forearm to outlast the heavyset Castilo in a thriller at the Glorietta 5 Atrium that took almost an hour to finish.
“My forearm felt heavy. I couldn’t swing the racquet properly,” said Barredo, a daughter of a Philippine Sports Commission employee who honed her skills at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall while growing up. “I just fought the discomfort and took advantage when she couldn’t keep up anymore,” she added.
Barredo, who lost to Castilo in three sets in the same tournament last year, sets up a championship meeting with PBA-Smash teammate Airah Mae Nicole Albo in the tourney organized by the Philippine Badminton Association and backed by Bingo Bonanza, official equipment partner Victor and Gatorade, the official sports drink.
Prior to posting a similar reversal, Albo seemed headed for disaster after losing the first set before taking control for a 16-21, 21-14, 21-10 triumph over Mariya Sevilla.
“I think I defended well in the last two sets and attacked the open spaces that she found hard to cover, mostly at the corners,” said Albo, a 16-year-old sports management major at De La Salle University.
In mixed doubles, Ronel Estanislao and Marissa Vita of Indonesia made the finals after besting Paul Jefferson Vivas and Eleanor Christine Inlayo , 19-21, 21-16, 21-2.