7 more pairs crowned champs in IT&E tourney

Patrick Fernandez makes a backhand, while teammate Vilma Reyes gets ready for a return during their mixed doubles C title game against Morgan Kim and Erica Jung in the IT&E badminton tournament early this month at the TSL Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Seven more teams gained top honors in the IT&E Doubles and Mixed Doubles Badminton Competition 2016.

The list includes the pair of Patrick Fernandez and Vilma Reyes, who ruled the mixed doubles C after sweeping Morgan Kim and Erica Jung, 21-15, 21-16, in their title duel last April 2. Fernandez stepped up in their Game 1 win after scoring 15 of their total points, including 6 of their last 7 markers. In Game 2, it was a team effort with Reyes contributing 11 against the 10 of Fernandez.

In other results, three more pairs also took only two games to win the championship in their respective divisions, while the three others played an extended finale.

The first three-game title match was held last April 3 and featured the tandems of Nicole Malasarte and Loida Ito and Alma Ortega and Windy Fernandez with the latter pair drawing first blood, 21-17. However, Malasarte and Ito fought back and won the last two games, 21-16, 21-8, to bag the women’s doubles B crown.

Windy Fernandez had her second title game on the same day and this time she went victorious with Chris Hilario as her partner. They got the mixed doubles B championship after rallying past Nathan Guerrero and Nicole Malasarte. Guerrero and Malasarte won the opening game, 21-15, but missed the division title when Hilario and Fernandez topped the last two, 21-10, 21-14.

In the third championship tiff that went the distance, Glenn Buultjens and Guerrero ended up on the winning side of the April 8 pairing. They claimed the men’s doubles AB title after prevailing in the last two games, 21-16, 21-19, against Andreau Galvez and Rodwealth Espana, who eked out a 21-16 win in the opening game.

Galvez and Espana moved a win away from clinching the division title after logging the last 6 points in the first game. In the second game, Guerrero earned 14 points, but it was Buultjens who delivered the killer blows, making the team’s last 2 markers. In the deciding third game, there was a role reversal with Buultjens getting the early points for his team and Guerrero closing out, firing 4 of their last 5 markers.

In the men’s doubles B finals slated last April 3, Patrick Fielded and Oh Im Bog defeated Ezekiel Macario and Espana, 21-17, 21-16. Fielded registered 12 points in their victory in the first game, while Oh took over in the second, making 14.

In the men’s doubles C title match, which was also played last April 3, Morgan Kim redeemed himself from an earlier loss when he partnered with Jun Sik Kim in downing Patrick Fernandez and A.J. Ortega. Jun Sik and Morgan pulled off a tough 22-20 victory in the first game with the latter recording the last two points for his team. In the second game, the eventual champions had cruise control, posting a 21-10 triumph with Morgan contributing 11 points and Jun Sik adding 10.

In the mixed doubles A championship game, which was the last title match played (April 8) in the tournament, Jen Savellano and Deether Edralin outclassed Galvez and Malou Malasarte, 21-19, 21-14. The finals win was Savellano’s second, as she earlier teamed up with Janelle Pangilinan in beating Hannah Choi and Alma Ortega in the women’s doubles A title match, 22-20, 21-9.

The champions and the second and third placers were given medals during the competition’s awards ceremony last Friday.