THE UST Tiger Shuttlers’ comeback bid fell short as the NU Bulldogs secured a 3-2 victory in the UAAP Season 89 men’s badminton tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Gameville Central Park.
The España-based squad slipped to a 0-3 win-loss record, while last season’s bronze medalists improved to 3-0.
UST opened the day with a defeat as Ivan Tuazon fell to NU’s Clarence Villaflor in straight sets, 21-9, 21-14.
The Tiger Shuttlers suffered another setback in the second singles match as co-captain Juan Miguel Sison yielded to two-time UAAP MVP Lanz Zafra, 21-15, 21-8.
Sison established an early 11-7 advantage in the opening set, but Zafra overturned the deficit and dominated the remainder of the match to give NU a 2-0 lead.
UST finally broke through in the first doubles match as seniors Ron Galve and Bien Miraflor outlasted NU’s Vincent Lanuza and MJ Perez in a three-set thriller, 21-16, 18-21, 21-15.
After splitting the first two sets, the España duo broke away from a tight 12-all deadlock in the decider to secure UST’s first match victory of the day.
The Tiger Shuttlers sustained their momentum in the second doubles match as John Vincent Espinoza and Manuel Fulmentera rallied past NU’s John Benedict Gam and Jacinth Paul Ruedas to level the match, 17-21, 21-19, 21-17.
However, the Bulldogs ultimately prevailed in the deciding singles match as NU’s Benjamin Dictado defeated UST’s Aaron Berdaña, 21-15, 21-19.
Despite establishing an early advantage in the second set, Berdaña failed to fend off Dictado’s late rally as NU sealed its third straight victory.
The Tiger Shuttlers will next face the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the same venue. F
