SBC earns return trip to finals

Defending champion Saipan Badminton Club notched the first finals berth in the 7th Traders Insurance Badminton Team Tournament.

SBC made it to the championship round, following a 26-4 demolition of Taga Badminton Club over the weekend at the TSL Sports Complex. The two-time champion also challenged Shirley’s Badminton Club last weekend and although the latter took a shaky 8-7 lead after five matches, SBC is still on top of the team standings with its 76-29 record, zeroing in on the first finals ticket.

With SBC returning to the finals, Shirley’s and Community Badminton Club are left to fight for the second and last finals slot, while Golden Racquets and Taga are out of the running. Shirley’s holds a 68-35 record and must gain at least 8 points at the resumption of its duel against SBC this weekend to advance to the finals. CBC, which owns a 60-45 slate, is pressed to sweep Taga in the last five matches to take the second finals seat. CBC met Taga last week and went ahead, 12-3. The loser of the CBC-Shirley’s battle for the last finals berth will play Golden Racquet in the consolation round.

Taga was eliminated early after handing nine of the 10 matches to SBC. Actually, Taga got off to a good start in its pairing against SBC last weekend with the tandem of Loida Ito and Cristy Villafor winning over Alma Ortega and Dianne Francisco in the women’s B doubles, 21-18, 21-20. However, SBC foiled Taga’s upset bid, sweeping the last nine matches.

Joe Ortega and Young Sang gave SBC its first win after beating Panapa Peteru and Park in the men’s BC doubles, 21-15, 21-14. SBC went on to nail three more victories in the men’s doubles division with Sam Jones and Son prevailing against Peteru and Cai in the A class, 21-16, 21-12, Peng and Ortega downing Russel and Celso Agui in the B class, 21-12, 21-14, and Young Sang and Hancheol Yu slipping past Agui and A.J. Ortega, 21-16, 19-21, 21-16.

In the two remaining women’s doubles matches, SBC won with Francisco and Ortega teaming up anew and this time topping Gigi Zapanta and Judy Mendietta in the BC class, 21-11, 21-6, and Rowena Sison and partner sweeping Lani Santos and Roxe Lazaro, 21-10, 21-15.

In the first mixed doubles match between SBC and Taga, Oh Im Bog and M. Hye defeated Merlie Tolentino and Russel in the B class, 21-12, 21-9, while Glenn Bluutjens and Coo Linn triumphed over Shirley Kim and A.J. Ortega in the A class, 21-12, 21-18. SBC went on to complete the mixed doubles sweep with Tina Lee and partner dominating Emily Vargas and Cai, 21-14, 21-13.

In other results last weekend, Shirley’s defeated Golden Racquets, 20-10, to stay in contention for the second and last finals ticket. Shirley’s played the continuation of its game against Golden Racquets and prevailed in four of the last five matches to double up the latter.