SBC still on top despite bye

Community Badminton Club’s Nicole Malasarte tries to make a forehand return during her and Havika Farro’s game against Merlie Savellano and Marylyn Montano in the 2014 Traders Insurance Badminton Team Tournament at the TSL Sports Complex last Saturday. (Jon Perez)

SBC found Golden Racquets to be an easy opponent completing its domination on Friday with another 14-1 romp to hike its record to 45-15. The four-peat seeking team won four of the matches played after only two games to score the easy win. SBC will next face Community Badminton Club, composed of youth players and newcomers, on Dec. 5 and 6.

Taga Badminton Club is 14 wins behind SBC with a 31-34 record, which is one victory ahead of third running CBC’s 30-15 slate. Golden Racquets completes the standings in the 8th edition of the annual team tournament with a 21-39 mark.

Taga won 10 of the 30 games at stake against CBC on Friday and then added six more as the former currently trails Shirley’s by three in the 15 games they played last Saturday.

Three points are awarded to a team that wins a match in two games, while 2 points are given to the winning squad and one to its opponent if the match goes to three.

CBC got off to a hot start against Taga as the mixed AB pair of Andreau Galvez and Nicole Malasarte scored an easy 21-5, 21-10 win over Celso Agui and Cristy Villaflor while the mixed BC tandem of Deether Edralin and Mykki Caracut dispatched Edwin Montoya and Roxanne Lazaro, 21-3, 21-14.

CBC, however, had to default its men’s BB game before Zeke Macario and Jon Costales collected another 3 points after a hard-earned 21-20, 21-20 win in the men’s BC division.

Taga earned 2 points after the usual pairing of Loyda Ito and Shirley Kim escaped with a thrilling 17-21, 21-12, 21-18 triumph over Angie Ito and Havika Farro.

CBC, against Golden Racquets, did not need to flex its muscles in the women’s AA and BC doubles divisions as Jen Savellano and Janelle Pangilinan hardly broke a sweat in a 21-8, 21-13 demolition of Ana Alvarez and Ana Omori in the women’s AA. In the BC doubles, Malasarte joined Farro in dealing Marylyn Montano and Merlie Savellano a 21-13, 21-11 beating.

Malasarte also teamed up with Pangilinan in pulling off a 14-21, 21-11, 21-16 win over Alvarez and Cheng Saturno.

CBC surrendered a point to Golden Racquets after Galvez and Jeremi Montenejo needed three sets in disposing off Jojo Savellano and Gary Bandoja.

Golden Racquets added 3 more points following Saturno and Lucelle Lampera’s 21-8, 21-8 decision over the tandem of Patricia Abantao and CBC new recruit Jerah Castillo.

Taga, in its game against Shirley’s, scored wins in the women’s AA and BC match-ups while dropping the women’s AB and BB pairings. Shirley’s also won Saturday’s final match in the men’s AB category behind Jerry Hibi and Jeff Riman, 21-10, 21-11.

The Shirley’s pair of Lani Abuel and Windy Fernandez opened the team’s pairing against Taga with a two-game win over Loyda Ito and Elna Curate, 21-11, 21-11, before Abuel’s partnership with Anette Ta produced a 16-21, 21-15, 21-17 loss against Ito and Elna Curate.

Villaflor and Lani Santos gave Taga 3 points following a 21-13, 21-13 decision over Jaja Bocago and Vilma Reyes. Bocago bounced back in the next game as she partnered with Fernandez in completing a 21-16, 20-21, 21-14 victory over Kim and Curate.

Action resumed last night with matches in the men’s BB and BC, mixed BC and BB, and men’s CC divisions. Results were unavailable at press time. (Jon Perez)