Ito, Galvez lead in Shirley’s Classic

Taga’s Angie Ito and Andrew Galvez booked back-to-back wins over the weekend at the TSL Sports Complex to take the solo lead in the mixed doubles AA division of the 2011 Shirley’s Badminton Classic.

The Taga duo first defeated Saipan Badminton Club’s Dick Guintu and Hannai Choi and then topped Gerry Hibi and Annarose Omori to improve to a perfect 4-0 record in the eight-team field. Ito and Galvez’s two other victories were against the tandems of Macoi Aguda and Marlene Peraja and Ferdie Arago and Lanie Bartolome in Week 1.

The current mixed doubles AA leaders have three more games left in the round-robin competition and a sweep of their remaining matches will give them an automatic finals berth. If not, Ito and Galvez are likely to advance to the semifinals.

Falling behind Ito and Galvez at second spot are the pairs of Guintu and Choi, Bartolome and Arago, and Omori and Hibi, who share similar 2-1 slates. Completing the field are Hapi Gabriel and Malou Malasarte (1-1), Edwin Montoya and Cheng Saturno (1-4), Aguda and Peraja (0-1), and Toshiko Obata and Mario Diola (0-3).

In the mixed doubles lower A, there is only one undefeated squad in the nine-team field after Week 2 action with Gary Bandoja and Choi holding a 3-0 mark. Robert Reyes and Malasarte and Guintu and Obata are tied for second with identical 3-1 marks, followed by Arago and Annette Quiambao (2-1), Galvez and Merlie Tolentino (1-1), Rodwealth Espana and Ito (1-2), Aguda and Lot Abuel (0-2), Gabriel and Jaja Samonte (0-2), and Roger Vales and Marylyn Montano (0-3).

In the mixed doubles 40-and-above, there is a two-way tie for the lead in Pool B with Reyes and Elma Labuson and Diola and Choi having similar 3-0 slates. Vales and Babes Cielo and Vic Regis and Omori are also in a deadlock for second place with identical 2-1 marks. In Pool A, Guintu and Oh In Sook are in solo first place with their 3-0 card.

The mixed doubles BB division is also divided into two groups with Bandoja and Sook ahead in Pool A with their perfect 5-0 record, one win ahead of Lito Mendoza and Montano (4-1). In Pool B, Oh Imbog and Obata own a 3-0 record for a share of the top spot with Chris Hilario and Annette Ta. Espana and Elna Curate are in close second with their 3-1 record.

In the mixed doubles CC, Roma Barlao and Nani are two wins away from sweeping their pool games. They hold a 5-0 card to lead Pool A. Luis Camacho and Curate are also unbeaten in three games to take the No. 2 spot. In Pool B, Kanata Omori and Cleofe Santos also have a 3-0 mark for the top spot, while Panapa Petero and Lanie Santos are in second with a 3-1 record.