7 pairs crowned doubles champs

Glenn Buultjens goes for a forehand return, while teammate Jenine Savellano looks on during their finals match against siblings Jordan and Janelle Pangilinan in the mixed doubles A division in the Tan Holdings Open 2014 last Friday night at the TSL Sports Complex. (Jon Perez)

Glenn Buultjens was in two of those seven teams, partnering with Yongson Yu and Jenine Savellano in topping their respective divisions in the annual badminton tournament.

Buultjens and Yu ruled the premier men’s doubles A division and added the mixed doubles A title to his collection with the youngster Savellano as his partner.

Buultjens and Yu, who enjoyed a twice-to-beat edge after sweeping all of its three matches in the elimination round, defeated Jongmin Lee and Deether Edralin in the final match after the latter pair pushed the top-seeded duo to a rubber.

Lee and Edralin played more aggressively and capitalized on their opponents’ numerous errors to win Game 1, 21-17, 21-19, and force a deciding contest.

Buultjens and Yu, after the 15-minute break and with their title bid threatened, made the necessary adjustments in Game 2 and patiently set up their shots, forcing either Lee or Edralin to return the birdie wide or make a short shot at the net. Buultjens and Yu, who also scored a 21-16, 21-14 over Lee and Edralin in their final elimination round match to clinch the top seeding, went on to secure the title after a 21-13, 21-16 win in Game 2.

Lee and Edralin arranged a finals date with Buultjens and Yu following a 21-6, 21-14 decision against the Joel Ortega-Jordan Pangilinan tandem.

Yu added the men’s doubles B crown to his credit when he teamed up with Lee in completing a 21-12, 26-24 victory over Edralin and Ezekiel Macario in the finals. Yu and Lee were the top seeds and enjoyed a twice-to-beat edge.

Yu and Lee, after dominating the first set, fell behind early in the second, 6-15, but slowly crept their way back into contention. The second set went into four deuces before the Korean duo sealed the win.

Buultjens duplicated Yu’s twin wins, as the former and Savellano a scored 21-16, 21-13 win over the brother-sister tandem of Jordan and Janelle Pangilinan in the mixed doubles A finals.

Buultjens and Savellano, who had the twice-to-beat advantage in the title game, were in complete control of the match and slowly pulled away in the first set as Jordan’s smashes and Janelle’s drop shots failed to clear the net. Savellano sealed the first set win with a smash after finding an opening at the Pangilinan’s left corner court. Buultjens and Savellano were never threatened in the second as the Pangilinans seemed out of synch.

Savellano bagged her second title as she later joined Janelle Pangilinan in completing an upset win over the top ranked duo of Hanna Choi and Rowena Sison.

Savellano and Pangilina, who defeated Choi and Sison in the opener, 21-11, 21-19, cruised to a 21-10, 21-14 decision in the final match.

Choi bounced back in the mixed doubles over-40 division, but she and partner Hancheol Yu had to grind out a 21-18, 21-17 win over the husband-and-wife pair of Joel and Alma Ortega after their opponents won the first game. Choi and Yu had the twice-to-beat incentive and needed it as the Ortegas took Game 1, 21-17, 21-17.

In the mixed doubles B finals, Cris Hilario and Windy Fernandez, who held a twice-beat-edge over the Jeff Riman and Cheng Saturno, earned the championship early after a 21-14, 21-15 crushing of their foes.

In other results, the brother and sister pairing of Jerome and Nicole Malasarte pulled off a 21-18, 11-21, 21-17 decision over Patrick Fernandez and Baby Banadera to rule the mixed doubles C class and join early champions Patrick Fernandez and Leo Sun Patrick (men’s doubles C), Sison and Saturno (women’s doubles B), and Malasarte and Mykki Caracut (women’s doubles C). (Jon Perez)