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2 teams tied atop Saipan Times badminton
The Green Badminators and the Sun Palace Yellow Smashers are currently tied atop of the standings as the Saipan Times Open Badminton Team Tournament kicked off its inaugural season last weekend at the TSL Sports Complex in Gualo Rai.
The Badminators’ Deether Edralin, left, goes for a drive while teammate Ana Alvarez looks on in their game against the Armatech Shuttlers’ Jong Min Lee and Malou Malasarte in the inaugural Saipan Times Open Badminton Team Tournament last week at the TSL Sports Complex. (Jon Perez)
All matches are in doubles—men’s, women’s, and mixed—with a two-set win giving the winning pair 3 points. If the game goes to three sets, the victorious tandem gets 2 points while the losing duo gets 1 point.
Two-set wins in the women’s BC, women’s B, men’s AB, men’s B, men’s C in the first weekend of the tournament gave the Badminator 24 points, followed by the Racket Roadrunners’ 20, while the Armatech Shuttlers and the Red Tigers had 11 apiece.
The Racket Roadrunners, meanwhile, humbled the Smashers in Friday’s opening day and on Saturday as they were limited to 10 points, but bounced back big time in their match up against the Armatech Shuttlers on Sunday with 20 points.
The Smashers clinched three markers each in the women’s B and A and mixed A and mixed C events.
Alma Ortega and Claire Song opened the Badminators’ campaign with a 21-18, 21-13 win over Christy Villaflor and Lani Santos in the women’s BC event then Ortega joined Annette Ta for a 21-18, 21-13 triumph against Villaflor and Loida Ito in women’s AB.
Ortega and Ta again delivered for the Badminators when they faced the Red Tigers. The duo downed Roxe Lazaro and Baby Banadera, 21-17, 21-18.
The Smashers, meanwhile, scored two-set wins against the Shuttlers in women’s A and B and mixed A and C.
Nicole Malasarte, teaming up with Janelle Pangilinan in women’s A, beat her mother Malou Malasarte and Ito, 23-21, 21-11, then joined Kim in a 21-18, 21-14 win over Ito and Villaflor in women’s B.
The mixed C pair of A.J. Ortega and Irish Pagarao scored a 21-16, 21-18 win over Eydie Uy and Santos, while Smashers team captain Glen Bluutjens and Pangilinan downed Jongmin Lee and Malou Malasarte, 21-14, 21-16.
Action continues this weekend with the second part of the matchups between the Badminators and the Tigers, and the Smashers and the Shuttlers. On Saturday and Sunday, the Badminators take on the Roadrunners while the Shuttlers battle the Tigers.
