FOUR former and current collegiate standouts grabbed the spotlight on the penultimate day of the Philippine Badminton Open after sweeping their assignments of the two sessions Saturday at the Dragonsmash Badminton Center in Manila.
Lea Inlayo, Nicole Albo, Julius Villabrille and Solomon Padiz Jr. were on track for possible title sweeps by advancing to the finals of the three doubles events.
Inlayo, a University of the Philippines product, and Albo, University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 80 Most Valuable Player, stopped upstarts Andrea Hernandez and Susmita Ramos, 21-11, 21-15, to move into the finals of the women’s doubles against Alyssa Leonardo and Thea Pomar.
The top-seeded pair of Leonardo and Pomar took down National University’s Gwnneth Desacola and Jeya Pinlac, 21-16, 21-19, in their own semifinal match of this tournament sponsored by Yamaha, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, MWell, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, and Meralco.
Inlayo joined hands with the reigning UAAP men’s MVP Padiz Jr. in an upset of top-seeds Alvin Morada and Leonardo, 21-17, 21-12, in mixed doubles. On the other side of the draw, Albo and Villabrille took down Christian Bernardo and Pomar, 21-14, 16-21, 21-18.
Villabrille and Padiz, both UAAP champions with NU, also booked their places in the men’s doubles final, 21-14, 21-15, against UP-Allied Badminton’s Kervin Llanes and Paul Gonzales.
Morada and Bernardo prevented the upset axe in the men’s doubles bracket as the 31st Iran Fajr International Challenge champions denied Jerick Obaob and Johan Rivas, 21-17, 23-21.
Upsets also abound in the men’s singles draw as NU youngins Mark Anthony Velasco and Lanz Zafra pulled through over higher-seeded Ros Pedrosa, 22-20, 21-13, and Lance Vargas, 21-19, 21-23, 23-21.
Only the women’s singles play was spared from stunners as Mika De Guzman and Christal Rei Fuentespina arranged their final showdown.
De Guzman, the most recent UAAP women’s MVP from Ateneo, made short work of Nikki Paz, 21-9, 21-5, in just 23 minutes. Fuentespina, on her part, came from behind against Patricia De Leon, 18-21, 21-15, 22-20.
The champions of the tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee will be crowned on the final day on Sunday.