Tigers grab lead in Saipan Times badminton

The Red Tigers jumped atop the standings of the inaugural Saipan Times Open Badminton Team Tournament after the third week of action from June 12 to 14 at the TSL Sports Complex in Gualo Rai.

Racket Roadrunners captain Andreau Galvez, right, prepares to serve, while teammate Marlene Peraja waits for the return in one of their matches in the mixed A division in the ongoing 2015 Saipan Times Open Badminton Team Tournament. (Jon Perez)

The Red Tigers, who were in fourth place after the June 7 matches, slowly worked their way up the following weekend as they collected 33 points to hike their total to 65 with the final half of their contest against the Racket Roadrunners set this Friday.

The Armatech Shuttlers currently sit in second place with 62 points, but could drop to third or fourth depending on the final matchups between the Roadrunners (58) and the Green Badminators (50). The Sun Palace Smashers are at the cellar with only 35 points.

All matches are in doubles—men’s, women’s and mixed—with a two-game win giving the victorious pair three points and two to the triumphant team and one to the losing duo if the match went to three games.

The Red Tigers clinched 27 points against the Smashers in their matchup on June 12 and 13, as the former completed the rout with sweeps in the men’s BC and C, women’s BC and C, and mixed A.

They only gave up three points after the Smashers pushed their contests in the women’s AB, and mixed AB and BC events to three games. The Red Tigers also earned two wins by walkover in the men’s B and mixed C divisions.

The Red Tigers, however, are currently behind the Roadrunners by three points, 6-9, heading into this Friday’s final matches. The women’s AB pair of Hannah Choi and Elna Curate, and the men’s C tandem of Nathan Guerrero and Solaiman Munshi gave the Tigers the six points after they swept past their respective opponents.

Choi and Curate outsmarted the Roadrunners’ duo of Marylyn Montano and Lucelle Lampera, 21-15, 21-18, while Guerrero and Moonshi drubbed Tommy Kim and Tae Ho Kim, 21-15, 21-14.

The Roadrunners, with Oh Im Bog playing three matches, bounced back in the men’s AB and BC, and mixed B. Oh teamed up with Tae Ho Kim in pulling off a 23-21, 21-5 decision against Guerrero and Edwin Montoya then joined Rowena Sison in claiming a 21-10, 21-15 victory over Curate and Montoya. He capped his amazing run with captain Andreau Galvez as they dealt Montoya his third straight loss, 21-11, 21-10. Montoya paired up with Jordan Pangilinan

While the Red Tigers zoomed on top, the Smashers, leaders after the first week of the inaugural tournament, came crashing down with a series of defaults against the former and the Green Badminators.

The Smashers, aside from losing by walkover, suffered two-game defeats in the men’s AB, women’s AB, and mixed B events.

Deether Edralin and Gary Bandoja dealt Glenn Buultjens and A.J. Ortega a 21-18, 21-19 beating and Anna Alvarez and Alma Ortega defeated Janelle Pangilinan and Shirley Kim, 21-19, 23-21. Bandoja then teamed up with Annette Ta in securing a 21-18, 21-16 decision against Kim and A.J. Ortega, 21-18, 21-16.

The Smasherss, with 35 points, need to sweep their last five matches against the Badminators (50) in order to force a tie for fourth. The tiebreak will then be decided by subtracting the team’s points against from points for.