Solomon Padiz put the finishing touches on a come-from-behind win of SMASH Pilipinas Men’s Badminton Team over Singapore to clinch a potential quarterfinals berth in the 2020 Smart Badminton Asia Manila Team Championships, Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
In the third and last singles match, Padiz scored a 21-10, 21-19 win over Wing Darrion Ng in this tournament backed by SMART Communications Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Leisure and Resorts World Corporation, Cignal, and TV5.
The UAAP Season 82 Rookie of the Year stormed out of the gates with smashes, stunning Weng Darrion Ng with a dominant first set win.
“Na-feel ko na ibigay ko lang ‘yung best ko,” Padiz shared. “Nothing to lose naman po eh, pero mas okay naman na manalo po kami.”
Ng and Padiz kept the second game close before the Filipino went into match point at 20-17. Though the Singaporean was able to cut the deficit to one, 19-20, off two errors, Padiz was not to be denied, smashing one home to seal the win.
“Naka-adjust po ‘yung kalaban sa game ko, and ‘yun nga, nadulas po ako kanina. Sumasakit po ‘yung [waist ko]. Pero part of the game naman po,” the National University Bulldog said.
The Philippines to a 1-1 record at the end of the group phase.
A Singapore loss to Chinese-Taipei on Thursday will punch the hosts’ ticket to the knockout quarterfinals on Friday. If Singapore manages to stun Chinese-Taipei however, the two teams with the best quotients will advance.
The Filipinos earlier leveled the tie with a victory from Joper Escueta and Paul Pantig in the second doubles match over Abel Tan and Jia Howin Wong, 21-16, 21-16.
Singapore took the lead twice with Loh Kean Yew and Jason Teh sweeping Ros Pedrosa and Lanz Zafra in the first two singles matches.
Loh first dominated Pedrosa, 21-11, 21-8. Meanwhile, Teh had to fend off Zafra’s run in the second frame with a 21-14, 23-21 victory.
In other ties, Indonesia and Thailand won their respective groups after taking down their East Asian opponents Korea and Japan, both at 4-1 score lines.
Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto dominated Na Sung Seung and Wang Chan, 21-10, 21-14 in the second doubles match to clinch the Group A win for Indonesia.
World no. 4 Anthony Genting started it off for the top-seeds with a three-set thriller over Heo Kwang Hee, 24-22, 19-21, 21-16, in the first singles match. The tandem of Marcus Gideon and Sukamuljo then made it 2-0 over Choi Solgyu and Kim Won Ho, 21-14, 21-16.
Shesar Rhustavito completed the rout after surviving Kim Dong Hoon, 15-21, 21-13, 21-14.
Son Wan Ho averted a shutout for Korea with an upset over 2018 Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie in the second singles match, 21-16, 27-25.
Thailand won Group D against Japan after Kunlavut Vitditsarn outlasted Koki Watanabe, 17-21, 21-13, 21-9, in the second singles match.
The Thais earlier took the 2-0 lead courtesy of Kantaphon Wongchareon’s sweep of Kanta Tsuneyama, 21-14, 21-16, and Bodin Isara and Maneepong Jongjit’s escape of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, 21-19, 21-18.
Nitiphon Phuangphuapet and Tanapat Viriyangkura survived Akira Koga and Taichi Sato in the second doubles match, 19-21, 21-18, 21-11, before Kodai Naraoka prevented a sweep to take one for Japan, 21-14, 21-13, over Khosit Phetpradab.
Action continues to complete the quarterfinals cast on Thursday, February 13 at the same venue.
Thailand and Indonesia will dispute the women’s Group Y, Japan and Malaysia will battle Malaysia in Group W, while Chinese Taipei will take on Singapore for Group Z at 10 a.m.
In the men’s side, Malaysia and India will go for the Group B win, while quarterfinals berths are on the line in Group C with Chinese Taipei and Singapore later that day at 4 p.m.
