Back-to-back victories for Arago and Revilla

Ferdie Arago and John Revilla recorded back-to-back wins in the men’s A doubles event in the 2011 IT&E Singles/Doubles Badminton Tournament on Sunday night at the TSL Sports Complex to return on track for a playoffs spot.

The duo dropped its first two games, but recovered big time with twin victories last weekend. Arago and Revilla won over Edwin Montoya and Roger Vales, 21-16, 21-12, and then had another straight set triumph over the tandem of Victor Regis and Macoi Aguda, 21-12, 21-14, to improve to an even 2-2 card.

With their two victories, Arago and Revilla moved up to second place in the team standings in Group A of the men’s A doubles behind leader Gary Bandoja and Oh Imbog (2-1) .

Imbog and Bandoja gained their second win in three games after slipping past Hapi Gabriel and Ezekiel Macario in a three-set game at Court 3, 21-16, 16-21, 21-19. Gabriel and Macario fell to a 1-1 mark.

Other results at Court 3 saw Saul Gargalo beating Mario Diola in their men’s B1 singles game, 21-20, 21-20 and Diola recovering against Joseph Santos, 21-14, 21-14. Diola now has a 2-1 record, while Gargalo remained unbeaten at 2-0. Santos dropped to a 1-2 slate.

At Court B, five of the six matches resulted in sweeps. In the men’s B doubles, Bandoja and Narlou Achas downed Rodwealth Espana and Luis Camacho, 21-18, 21-10; Kim Boranah topped Elna Curate in the women’s C singles, 21-10, 21-10; Hannah Choi and So Young Lee whipped Malou Malasarte and Cris Obaldo, 21-8, 21-18; Loyda Ito and Cristy Villaflor prevailed over Angie Ito and Gigi Zapanta, 21-17, 21-14; and Marlene Pereja and Lani Bartolome defeated Marylyn Montano and Cheng Saturno, 21-12, 21-18. The last three matches at Court B were all women’s A doubles games. The lone three-set match at Court B had Zapanta and Rose Lazaro edging Elma Labuson and Jaja Samonte in the women’s doubles, 15-21, 21-15, 21-18.

Over at Court A, two games went the distance, while four ended only in two sets. Recording sweeps were sisters Lani Bartolome and Lot Abuel against Villaflor and Melanie Santos in the women’s B doubles, 21-11, 21-10; Alvin Alvarez over Aries Cordero in the men’s B2 sigles, 21-16, 21-9; Mahesh Balakrishna versus Daniel Choi in the men’s C singles, 21-16, 21-19; and Irish Pagarao against Roma Barlao in the women’s C singles, 21-20, 21-20.

In the two three-set matches, Montano and June Padua survived Bartolome and Abuel in the women’s B doubles, 21-19, 17-21, 21-20, and Anna Omori and Michelle Caleon thwarted Anna Alvarez and Shirley Kim in the women’s A doubles, 21-12, 18-21, 21-16.