Ateneo, NU still unbeaten in UAAP badminton tournament

MANILA, Philippines–Reigning titlist Ateneo and National University continued their hot streak to remain the top squads in the 75th UAAP badminton tournament Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

The Blue Eagles handily defeated Far Eastern University, 4-1, while the Bulldogs tripped La Salle with the same score.

Toby Gadi set the tone with a 21-8, 21-15 smashing of Wilfredo Amoroso in the first singles while Patrick Natividad took only made quick work of John Christian Mendez, 21-11, 21-9, in second singles.

Gadi and Justin Natividad then teamed up for the clincher with a 21-17, 21-12 triumph over Amoroso and Ian Bautista in the first doubles.

The Tamaraws’ lone win in the tie came in the in second doubles, with Mendez and Nico Saquin defeating Raphael Alonso and Arlo Madrid, 21-19, 21-14.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, forged a more hardfought victory in the face of the fiery Archers.

NU ace Joper Escueta fended off a stiff challenge by JC Clarito to hammer out a 21-10, 24-22 win in the first singles, while Aries de los Santos and Jayson Oba-ob needed three sets to outlast Ronel Estanislao and Lance Bautista, 15-21, 22-20, 21-17, in the first doubles.

Escueta and Andrei Babad sealed the deal for NU by beating Carlos Cayanan and Gerald Sibayan in the second doubles, 21-16, 21-12.

John Kenneth Monterubio slipped past Babad, 11-21, 21-9, 21-12, in the second singles for La Salle’s only triumph in the tie.

The Bulldogs’ Oba-ob bucked an opening set loss to turn back Estanislao, 19-21, 21-19, 21-16, in the third singles.

Ateneo and NU are only teams with unscatched records and three victories midway through the single-round eliminations.

FEU and La Salle slipped to 1-2 just as Red Warriors and the Falcons, meanwhile, stayed winless in three starts.