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8 clinch semis seats in IT&E tourney
Eight players secured semifinal berths in the men’s singles competition of the 2014 IT&E Mixed Doubles and Singles Badminton Tournament after the completion of Week 3 games over the weekend at the TSL Sports Complex.
In the men’s C singles, the Final Four cast is complete with Raphael Zapanta, Patrick Fernandez, A.J. Ortega, and Jeremy Montenejo making up the list.
Zapanta topped Group 1 with an even 2-2 record, beating Marc Mora (1-3) and John Cano (1-3) for the lone playoff ticket in their bracket. In Group 2, Fernandez was undefeated (4-0) shutting out Tommy Kim (2-2) and Taeho Kim (2-2), while Ortega was also perfect (4-0) in Group 3, downing Sato San (2-2) and Rick Brien (1-3). Montenejo recorded a field-best 2-2 slate to round out the semis cast, as he won remaining seat against Toshi San (1-3) and Ray Musada (0-4).
In the men’s B singles, only Deether Edralin is assured of a semis ticket in Group 1 after sweeping pool play. He is in Group 1 and finished the elimination round with a 4-0 record after winning over Jeff Riman, Kelvin Son, and Celso Agui. Riman and Son completed pool play with similar 2-2 records and will play in a knockout match to determine the second qualifier in Group 1.
In Group 2, Ezekiel Macario is likely to notch a semis slot as he is still unbeaten in three games. Joel Ortega and Edwin Montoya are battling for the second and last spot with the former holding a 2-2 record and the latter owning a 1-2 mark. Aries Cordero bowed out of the division with his 1-3 slate. Montoya will play Macario this Friday and a win will help him force a tie with Ortega for the last semis berth.
In the men’s A singles, only two Final Four tickets are left after Glenn Bluutjens and Macario bagged the first two. Macario and Bluutjens are in Group 2 and tied for first place with similar 3-1 records, booting out Sam Jones (2-2) and Edralin (0-4).
In the tough Group 1, it is still an open race among four competitors. Jordan Pangilinan is unbeaten in two games to lead the group, while Andreau Galvez and Ferdie Arago are breathing on the former’s neck with their identical 2-1 marks. Macoi Aguda is also in the thick of the fight with his 1-1 slate. Gary Bandoja is out of the running after dropping his first four games.
The remaining elimination games, knockout matches, semis, and title games will be played this weekend. Results in the women’s and mixed doubles will be reported in Saipan Tribune later this week.
