Top seeds Galvez, Choi advance to semis

Tournament top seeds Andreau Galvez and Hannah Choi swept their way to the semifinals in their respective divisions in the Sun Palace Singles and Doubles Competition 2015.

Andreau Galvez, right, prepares to serve against Glenn Buultjens in their men’s singles A division match in the Sun Palace badminton tournament at the TSL Sports Complex. (Jon Perez)

Galvez, of Community Badminton Club, and Saipan Badminton Club’s Choi won all of their four matches to earn the top ranking in the men’s and women’s singles A events.

Galvez, last year’s losing finalist, did not drop a set in his matches against Glen Buultjens, Deether Edralin and Jordan Pangilinan, and won by default against Mcoi Aguda.

Edralin finished second with a 3-1 record followed by Pangilinan (2-2), Buultjens (1-4), and Aguda (0-4).

Mikiya Takahashi and Daniel Kim are also assured of semifinals spots in the men’s singles C division after also winning all of their four matches in their respective groups.

The last two berths will be contested by Jeremi Montenejo and Taeho Kim and defending champion A.J. Ortega and Owen Ou in a knockout matches set this weekend.

The men’s singles A semis, on the other hand, will be played Friday with Pangilinan taking on Ortega, while Galvez faces Buultjens at 6:45pm at the TSL Sports Complex.

Choi will meet Havika Farro in the women’s singles A semifinals, while the other pairing will be between Janelle Pangilinan and Lani Bartolome.

Loida Ito and Vilma Reyes earned the top ranking in the women’s singles B and C divisions. Ito and Farro ended up with 3-1 cards in the women’s B, while Reyes tied with Irish Pagarao.

Ito won the tiebreak after winning 10 sets compared to Farro’s nine, while Reyes and Pagarao had seven sets apiece, but the former had the most points with 183 compared to 172 of the latter.

Ito will face fellow Taga Badminton Club member Merlie Tolentino in the semifinals, while Farro will take on Nicole Malasarte. Reyes collides with Shirley’s Badminton Club teammate Bartolome, while Pagarao battles Rose Lazaro.

In the men’s doubles A, Youngson Yu and Joongmin Lee earned the top ranking after beating Edralin and Pangilinan in the tiebreak, 9-8. Yu and Lee will face Buultjens and Oh Im Bog, while Edralin and Pangilinan battle Galvez and Zeke Macario.

Lee and Oh also topped the men’s doubles B and will collide with Joel Ortega and Edwin Montoya in the semis while the other pairing will have Hancheol Yu and Jun Lee battling Gary Bandoja and Edwin Maratas for a spot in the finals.

In the women’s doubles B, Julie Lee and Rowena Sison are still waiting for their semis opponent, the winner of the knockout match between the tandems of Pagarao and Christy Villaflor and Farro and Malasarte.

The other semis match will have Group 2 top seeds Ito and Shirley Kim going up against Marylyn Montano and Lucelle Lampera.

In the women’s C, Patricia Abantao and Mykki Caracut take on Gigi Zapanta and Lani Santos, while Reyes and Baby Banadera collide with Lazaro and Pagarao.

The semis pairings in the men’s doubles C and women’s doubles A have yet to be finalized as they have yet to finish their respective elimination round matches.

The semis winners will clash for the title while the loser’s battle for third place.