Favored players deliver in Shirley’s Badminton Classic

Last year’s finalists Sam Jones and Glenn Bluutjens got off to a good start after sweeping their first game in the 2014 Shirley’s Badminton Classic last Saturday night at the TSL Sports Complex.

Jones and Bluutjens, who are favored to advance to the finals anew this year and avenge their 2013 loss to Andreau Galvez and Jexler Caranto, were first paired against Ferdie Arago and Aries Cordero and notched a 21-18, 21-18 win in the men’s A doubles.

In the other men’s A doubles match, Young Son Yu and Jongmin Lee endured Chris Hilario and Jerry Hibi, 21-19, 15-21, 21-16. Three other pairs are entered in the men’s A doubles and drew byes in last Saturday’s games. Galvez is back, but has a new partner in Deether Edralin, while Macoi Aguda teams up with Shintaro and Jordan Pangilinan join forces with Ezekiel Macario.

Sam Jones leaps for a return, while Glenn Bluutjens dodges from the frontline during their men’s A doubles game against Aries Cordero and Ferdie Arago in the 2014 Shirley’s Badminton Classic last Saturday at the TSL Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Besides the men’s A doubles matches, six other doubles division games took place last Saturday.
In the men’s B doubles, Pastor Pang and Oh Im Bog swept Edwin Montoya and Joel Ortega, 21-20, 21-17, while in the men’s C doubles, Noel Banadera and Noel Florento debuted with a 21-0, 21-18 triumph against John Cano and Jeremi Montenejo.

In the women’s A doubles, Janelle Pangilinan and Jenine Savellano walked past Loyda Ito and Elna Curate, 21-7, 21-16, while Lani Bartolome and Windy Fernandez had similar two-game victory, 21-19, 21-19. In the 35-and-above division, Toshiko Obata and Baby Banadera topped Shirley Kim and Lani Santos, 21-9, 21-16, while Julie Lee and Rowena Sison had a free win after a no-show from Nicole Malasarte and Patricia Abantao in the women’s B doubles. The other women’s doubles match last Saturday had Cheng Saturno and Lucella Lampera beating Christy Villaflor and Curate, 21-15, 21-17.

Meanwhile, in the singles divisions, Galvez started his title defense bid in Class A with a 21-16, 21-17 win over his doubles partner Edralin. Joining Galvez in the winners circle last Saturday were Macario, Abantao, Patrick Fernandez, Leo Su, Roxe Lazaro, Toshiaki, Sang Do Park, and Allan Lee.

In the men’s C singles, Allan Lee prevailed over Tae Ho Kim; 21-11, 21-18; Park downed Sato, 21-13, 21-17; Toshiaki won over Jun Kim, 21-11, 21-14; Patrick Fernandez slipped past Jerome Malasarte, 20-21, 21-17, 21-15; and Su defeated A.J. Ortega, 21-12, 13-21, 21-12.

In the lone men’s B singles match, Macario dominated Shintaro, 21-12, 21-18. In the women’s singles, Abantao made short work of Gigi Zapanta in Class C, 21-15, 21-15, while Lazaro also took only two games to beat Vilma Reyes, 21-17, 21-19.