THE UST Tiger Shuttlers and Lady Shuttlers fell to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the knockout semifinals of the UAAP Season 86 badminton tournaments at the Centro Atletico Badminton Center in Cubao on Friday, Nov. 10.
UST will participate in the bronze-medal matches in the men’s and women’s tournaments after respective 3-0 and 3-1 losses.
Pingkoy Salvado prevailed over Tiger Shuttlers team captain Lennox Cuilao, 21-15, 21-14, while Blue Eagle Lyrden Laborte prevailed in three sets over UST’s Sean de la Cruz, 21-8, 18-21, 21-9.
Salvado teamed up with Lance Vargas to shut the door on UST’s finals hopes, sweeping UST’s duo of Janzen Panisales and Cuilao, 21-15, 21-19, in the lone doubles match.
In women’s play, Lady Shuttlers’ duo of Rhafi Santos and Jen Saladaga snagged UST’s lone win after dominating Ateneo’s Missy Cervantes and Angel Valle, 21-13, 21-12.
However, that was all for UST.
Ateneo’s Mika de Guzman made a 21-10, 21-10 rout of Lizzy Belen, while Jochelle Alvarez overpowered UST’s Patricia de Leon, 21-11, 21-8.
De Guzman and Alvarez kept Ateneo’s four-peat hopes alive with a 21-13, 21-17 thrashing of UST’s Maye Alvarez and De Leon.
The Tiger Shuttlers will face the UP Fighting Maroons, while the Lady Shuttlers will go up against the NU Lady Bulldogs in the battles for bronze on Sunday, Nov. 12, at the same venue.
