The defending champions demonstrated their class as they scored a resounding victory over their closest competitors for the UAAP Season 78 Men’s Badminton Championship.
NU and DLSU were undefeated heading into the tie. Both schools also competed in last season’s finals of which NU prevailed. Due to both schools facing each other undefeated, a step-ladder format for the final four was virtually established in their previous ties. It was only a matter of who between NU and DLSU would finish top and garner that thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals. The loser of this tie would be given a twice-to-beat advantage over the winner between third and fourth placer.
Ros Pedrosa of NU won a three game contest against DLSU’s Gerald Sibayan in the first singles match of the tie, 21-13, 19-21 and 21-10. Sibayan’s errors proved to be his undoing as Pedrosa ruthlessly capitalized on them. Save for the second game, Pedrosa showed his dominance over Sibayan with the former finishing with a considerably higher lead in the first and third games.
NU’s Rookie of the Year candidate Keeyann Gabuelo went up against DLSU’s Kenneth Monterubio in the second singles match of the tie. The first game ended in a close win for Monterubio as he kept his composure and warded off Gabuelo’s attempt for a come from behind win. Gabuelo then tallied a lopsided win over Monterubio in the second game with a score of 21-12. Gabuelo ended up winning the third game and the tie itself with a score of 21-18 after preventing Monterubio from completing a resurgence.
The only doubles match of the tie was a whitewash for the NU Bulldogs as they easily won over the Green Archers. Ariel Magnaye and Alvin Morada of NU won two games with scores of 21-10 and 21-13 over the DLSU tandem of Sibayan and Anton Cayanan. The NU Bulldogs were just plain dominant during the course of this match.
NU won this tie over DLSU with a final score of 4-1 after both schools forfeited a match each. NU forfeited the last singles match while DLSU did the same for the second doubles match.
NU will now enjoy a thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals while DLSU gets a consolation of a twice-to-beat advantage against the winner of the playoff tie between ADMU and UP.
