TOP SEED Ronel Estanislao and Paul Vivas asserted their might in the decider to carve out a 21-15, 16-21, 21-11 decision over fellow national team mainstays Joper Escueta and Ariel Magnaye and barged into the semifinal round of the Open men’s doubles of the FDG Cup Open and Invitational Badminton Championships at Powersmash in Makati late Friday.
The victory came after Estanislao and Vivas outlasted the Toby Gadi-I Komang Wijaya duo, 21-17, 24-22, in the Last 16 to set up a quarterfinal clash with the Escueta-Magnaye tandem, which routed Winston Aquilo and Tums Gabuelo, 21-9, 21-10.
Andrei Babad and Paul Pantig likewise subdued Kevin Dalisay and Christopher Flores, 21-19, 25-27, 21-16, to arrange a Final Four clash with Estanislao and Vivas in the event held in honor of Robinsons Land Corp. president Frederick D. Go.
Go teamed up with world No. 5 Simon Santoso of Indonesia in an exhibition match with the world No. 4 mixed doubles tandem of Tontowi Ahmed and Liliyana Natsir yesterday.