The Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles posted its first win of the season after beating the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 4-1, Sunday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
Ateneo bounced back after falling to the UP Fighting Maroons yesterday, while FEU remains winless after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the DLSU Green Shuttlers during the opening day.
Jan Mangubat of Ateneo had a stellar performance to win the first match of the team tie against Josh Mark Maquelabit in two games, 21-13 and 22-20. The 17-year old dominated the first game with smarter placing. Looking to tie the match, Maquelabit took a 17 to 14 lead at the second game but Mangubat rallied back to spoil the comeback.
Enrico Asuncion continued Ateneo’s winning ways with the two-game win against Estarco Bacalso. It was a close first game with both players tied at set point, however, Asuncion’s quickness proved to be too much as he claimed the opening game with as score of 23-21. The Blue eagle brought his momentum into the second game and dominated the scoring as the match ended with a score of 21-12 in the second game.
Hanz Bernardo and Carlo Remo took the win for the team tie after defeating FEU’s Estarco Bacalso and Jacob Tercias with a score of 22-20 and 21-15 in the first and second set respectively. It was a close first game for the two teams with no one leading by more than three points. The Tamaraws were the first to reach game point but a five-point blitz gave Bernardo and Remo the first game victory. Bacalso and Tercias then struggled for the rest of the second game with Ateneo clinching the win.
FEU finally took a win after Rafael Dionisio and Josh Maquelabit escaped with a three-setter win against Fides Bagasbas and Patrick Gecosala, 22-20, 21-18 and 21-16. FEU won a close first game behind Maquelabiut’s aggressive strikes. Ateneo then bounced back in the second game as they lessened their errors to outhustle FEU. Maquelabit and Dionisio closed the match with help from crucial errors from their counterparts.
Finally, Blue Eagle Clarence Filart won a non-bearing game versus Jacob Tercias of Far Eastern University in two games, 21-15 and 21-19. Filart Controlled the tempo the whole match as Tercias struggled with his receptions.
