THE UST Lady Shuttlers kept their semifinals bid alive after clobbering the Adamson Lady Falcons, 5-0, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s badminton tournament at the Centro Atletico Badminton Center in Cubao on Sunday, Nov. 5.
With UST’s win and La Salle’s loss to the UP Fighting Maroons today, both teams are now tied for fourth place with similar 1-3 win-loss records. Ateneo, NU, and UP have secured their tickets to the semifinals.
Rhafi Santos made quick work of Adamson’s Ivy Plata, 21-14, 21-11, while Lady Shuttler Maria Belen swept Patricia Timosa, 21-16, 21-10, in the first two singles matches.
UST’s duo of Patricia de Leon and Marielle Alvarez prevailed over Lady Falcons Katherine Dulay and Graziel Cabriga, 21-15, 21-16.
Santos and her fellow Lady Shuttler Jennifer Saladaga dominated Adamsons’s tandem of Camille Buagas and Justine Barasona in the doubles play, 21-10, 21-17.
De Leon completed UST’s sweep of Adamson with a 21-7, 21-16 rout of Althea Bartolazo.
“At least na 5-0 nila ‘yung Adamson para pagdating namin sa La Salle, meron silang confidence na baon sa darating na Wednesday,” UST head coach Charlie Medina told the Varsitarian.
In men’s play, the UST Tiger Shuttlers had an opposite outcome as they absorbed a 5-0 loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Blue Eagles Lyrden Laborte and Lance Vargas drubbed UST’s Ivan Tuazon (21-9, 21-6) and Lennox Cuilao (21-15, 21-15) in the first two singles matches.
Ateneo’s tandem of Arthur Salvado and Laborte swept UST’s duo of Sean De la Cruz and John Dizon, 21-10, 21-18, to seal the win for the Blue Eagles.
Cuilao teamed up with Janzen Panisales but fell short to the Blue Eagles’ duo of Lance Vargas and Charles Bagasbas, 19-21, 21-16, 21-14.
A 21-15, 22-20 win by Salvado over De la Cruz completed Ateneo’s sweep.
UST dropped to a 1-3 win-loss slate, while Ateneo secured the third semifinals slot with a 3-1 record. The unbeaten NU Bulldogs and the second-seeded UP Fighting Maroons have already taken the first two semifinals spots after both teams went for a 3-0 start.
The UST Tiger Shuttlers will look to secure a spot in the Final Four of the men’s and women’s divisions as they face their DLSU foes on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the same time and venue.
