MOMENTUM. Top seed Rabie Jayson Oba-ob of Zamboanga prepares to return to Kervin Llanes during the Philippine Badminton Open men's singles quarterfinals at First Pacific Leadership Academy courts in Antipolo City on Sunday (June 9, 2024). Oba-ob won, 19-21, 21-14, 21-5. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Top seed Rabie Jayson Oba-ob rallied past University of the Philippines’ Kervin Llanes, 19-21, 21-14, 21-5, to reach the men's singles semifinal of the 2024 Philippine Badminton Open on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Zamboangueño regained his form in the second set, sustaining his momentum to claim victory after 31 minutes at the First Pacific Leadership Academy courts in Antipolo City.
"’Yung game plan ko kasi ngayon is tagalan ko 'yung laro kasi alam kong mas matibay 'yung endurance ko (My gameplan was to play the game longer because I know my endurance is stronger)," Oba-ob said.
He will be up next against Smash Pilipinas member Jelo Albo, also from UP.
Albo prevailed over another Ateneo De Manila University’s Robert Ishmael Ramos, 21-15, 21-10, in the other quarterfinal match.
West Negros College freshman Clarence Villaflor of Cadiz-JBA/Apacs and UAAP Season 86 co-Most Valuable Player Arthur Samuel Salvado Jr., also of Ateneo, will square off in the other semifinal match of the tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
"Bihira rin sa bansa natin 'yung mga badminton courts na matataas yung ceiling tulad dito kaya tinry kong taasan 'yung bola para masira 'yung timing niya lalo na karamihan sa mga players ngayon gumagamit ng power (It's also rare in our country to have badminton courts with high ceilings like this one, so I try to raise the ball to break his timing, especially since most of the players today use power)," Oba-ob said.
In the women's division, reigning champion Mika de Guzman of Ateneo outclassed Rhea Montañez of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 21-8, 21-6, to arrange a semifinal showdown with Karyll Rio of National University.
The fifth-seeded Rio defeated UAAP Season 86 Rookie of the Year Patricia De Leon of University of Santo Tomas, 21-18, 21-17.
NU's Ysabel Amora will meet JLTC's Anielka Maeve Paz in the other semifinal match.
Meanwhile, defending mixed doubles champions Julius Villabrille and Nicole Albo advanced to the semifinals after a 21-9, 21-10 victory over NU's Zed Montebubio and Rio.
Villabrille and Albo will face Yonex’s John Gregg Paz and Victor Pcome-MMBTC's Marilou Dacillo, who survived Adamson University's Noel Hernandez Jr. and Graziel Cabriga, 21-16, 5-21, 21-16.
In the men's doubles, Villabrille and Solomon Padiz Jr. downed fellow Bulldogs John Benedict Gam and Marcjoel Clarence Perez 21-12, 23-21, while Albo and Lea Inlayo trounced UP's Susmita Ramos and Anthea Gonzalez, 21-8, 21-14, in the women's side.
The finals matches will be played at Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong on Tuesday. (PNA)
The Philippine News Agency is a web-based newswire service of the Philippine government under the supervision of the News and Information Bureau (NIB) of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).