Upset in mixed doubles A semis

Ferdie Arago and Lanie Bartolome survived a down-to-the-wire semis clash against Hannah Choi and Glenn Bluutjens to barge into the finals of the mixed doubles A event in the 2014 IT&E Mixed Doubles and Singles Badminton Tournament last Sunday at the TSL Sports Complex.

Arago and Bartolome dropped the closely fought opening game, 22-24, but still walked away the winners after sweeping the last two, 21-18, 21-19, and stunned their top-ranked foes. Choi and Bluutjens were ranked first in Group 2 of the mixed doubles A division, holding a perfect 4-0 record in the elimination round, while Arago and Bartolome finished second in Group 1 with its 3-1 record.

Bartolome and Arago pulled off an upset and came back from an 18-19 deficit after the latter scored the last three points in the match with his crosscourt returns. Arago made the match-winning crosscourt shot when he received a return from Bluutjens on his right side and hit a short cross. Bluutjens then quickly headed from his right to left side, but was still not squared off for the shot and made a strong return with the shuttlecock going out of the right sideline of their foes’ court.

With the tough victory, Arago and Bartolome, who came from a 5-11 deficit at the break of the deciding third game, will challenge Andreau Galvez and Jen Savellano in the finals this weekend. Galvez and Savellano also needed three sets to outclass siblings Janine and Jordan Pangilinan, 21-16, 22-24, 21-19. Savellano and Galvez advanced into the semis after placing first in Group 1 and beating Arago and Bartolome in the tiebreak via the win-over-the-other rule. The Pangilinans finished second behind Choi and Bluutjens with their 3-1 slate and will face the latter pair anew in the battle for third place, also this weekend.

Meanwhile, the final pairings in two other mixed doubles divisions were also completed over the weekend.

In the mixed doubles B, it will be the tandem of Deether Edralin and Havikka Farro versus the pair of Aries Cordero and Toshiko Obata, as both teams needed only two games to thwart their respective opponents.

Edralin and Farro were pitted against Kelvin and Julie Lee and coasted to a 21-12, 21-17 victory, while Cordero and Obata also swept Cheng Saturno and Vic Regis, 21-19, 21-13.

In the mixed doubles C, Han Cheol Yu and Christine Saplan finished off Eydie Uy and Merlie Savellano in two games, 21-16, 21-14, to bag the first finals berth in the division. Mother and son Gigi and Raphael Zapanta took the free second finals ticket after getting a victory via forfeiture over Jeremy Montenejo and Nicole Malasarte.

Meanwhile, semis results in the men’s and women’s doubles will be reported in Saipan Tribune’s Thursday edition.