Defending champions UST Male Shuttlers escaped past a rookie-laden National University (NU) squad, 3-2, in their semifinal match at the Rizal Badminton Hall last September 12 to book a hard-earned championship berth in the Season 73 badminton hostilities.
“I was expecting more from my players since they were playing against a team (NU) with a roster full of rookies,” coach Noli Cajefe said.
Season 71 Rookie of the Year R-Jay Ormilla drew first blood, drubbing NU’s Jayson Oba-ob in the first singles game, 21-18, 21-15.
But NU got back with Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player candidate Ariel Magnaye, who was recovering from flu, yielding to the steel-nerved Joper Escueta, 21-12, 21-10.
UST’s lethal tandem of Ormilla and Salvador Kapunan showed no mercy as they unleashed a barrage of smashes to NU’s Jason Deimos and Nil Nim, to take a 2-1 advantage with an easy 21-16, 21-8 win.
Oba-ob and Joper Escueta did not give up without a fight, taking advantage of the error riddled pair of Magnaye and Derrick Chan, 13-21, 20-22.
The deciding game of Kapunan and Nim became controversial due to a call of a referee who saw the shuttlecock touch the hair of Nim before it landed outside. A showdown of smashes and drops ended with a hairline victory for Kapunan, 21-16, 18-21, 22-20.
“It really touched his (Nim) hair,” Cajefe said. “It’s the umpire’s decision and it’s final.”
UST will be facing Ateneo in the finals to defend the title they took from La Salle last year.
“We’ll be facing a formidable opponent in Ateneo since they’ve improved a lot,” Cajefe said.
Prior to the semis, UST edged out De La Salle University, 3-2, to break the tie between the two unbeaten teams and take the top spot in the rankings with a twice-to-beat advantage.
Out of contention
The UST Lady Shuttlers ran out of luck as they bowed down to first-seeded De La Salle, 3-2, last September 12 at the Rizal Badminton hall.
“I wasn’t expecting them to enter the Final Four,” Cajefe said. “It’s already a blessing that they reached the semifinals because we’re a developing team.”
Rookie Patricia Barredo bowed down to Descka Calimlim’s tricky drop shots, 17-21, 18-21, despite the net errors of De La Salle to take the first singles match.
UST’s Camille Yang was just as unlucky in long rallies, submitting to Geli Ramos, 17-21, 16-21.
Desperate to avoid the fangs of elimination, the rookie pair of Barredo and Pia Fabros outlasted La Salle’s Bernice Arsenio and Danica Bolos in the crossfire of smashes, 17-21, 21-14, 21-19.
But UST could not escape the power of Calimlim and Ramos, as Lady Shuttlers Rochiane Decatoria and Malou Gaspar fell to a 18-21, 14-21 shut-out.
UST reached as far as the semifinals after winning a do-or-die game against University of the Philippines, 3-1. Robin G. Padilla and Frauleine Michelle Villanueva
