University of the East took care of business in the first three matches to register their first win of the UAAP 78 men’s badminton tournament before Adamson University Soaring Falcons took the consolation matches, 3–2, Wednesday morning at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
Red Warriors veteran Arman Manlalangit finally broke his slump after surviving fellow senior EJ Viloria in three grueling sets. Viloria rose to a strong start at the opening game before Manlalangit seized control to lead at the break, 11–10. The Falcons’ Captain then scored several points in bundles to go on and take the game, 21–16. Manlalangit returned the favor in the following game and used a slim three-point advantage in the interval, 11–8, to level the match and force a deciding game, 21–15. The third-year UE veteran continued the momentum and took hold of the start of the final game before the court change at 11–8. Viloria tried to steal the game, but Manlalangit pulled through to register UE’s first win of the day, 21–17.
In the second singles, UE’s Angelo David nosed out fellow rookie Kevin Fabros in two close games. David initiated of the early goings of the first set and led 11–7 at the interval. Fabros kept the game close and forced his Recto-based opponent to trade points. However, David halted the tug-of-war in the end after conceding two separate game-clinching points from both sides, 23–21. The Adamson newcomer unleashed a strong start in the following set, but David slowly crept into the lead and wrestled control before the break, 11–10. Stringing a couple of points after the ceasefire, the Red Warriors took the set and the match, 21–18.
King Espiritu and Clarence Camacho clinched the Warriors’ maiden win of the season after overpowering Joshua Antonio and Jelo Iquiña in two consecutive sets for the first doubles match. After a close start at the first set, the Warriors duo mounted a huge lead at the middle part to put the set away and win it, 21–13. It was a similar story in the succeeding set, as UE never gave Adamson the chance. Espiritu and Camacho secured the set and the match, 21–10.
With nothing to gain but some matches on the scoreboard, Adamson took one back in the second doubles. Viloria and Elben Concha dispatched Manlalangit and Kenneth Cruz in two games. Both Adamson and UE wrestled for control at the start, before the Falcons took the initiative after the break. Viloria and Concha pulled through their opponents and won the first, 21–13. The second game had the same tight start and Adamson took the lead at the break, 11–10. From there, the San Marcelino-based tandem cruised to the win, 21–14.
In the final singles, Adamson sophomore Gerloth Delizo outlasted Espiritu in two sets. The first set was a tight affair before Delizo pulled through with the win. Espiritu wrestled the lead after the break, but Delizo slowly took the upper hand and the first set point. After two missed chances to secure the game, Adamson finished it with a score of 23–21. The following game was no different, but the Falcon seized control after the interval and never looked back to get the set and the match for his squad, 21–12.
