NMI’s Minul Hoque and Nolan Nate keep the possession alive during their match against Japan’s Yudai Nagafuchi and Kota Ogawa in the men’s doubles event of the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2025 at the Ada gym on Wednesday.
Northern Marianas Badminton Association photo
Israel’s Misha Zilberman extends for a return in a match against Korea’s Kim Byung Jae in the men’s singles event of the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2025 at the Ada gym on Wednesday.
Northern Marianas Badminton Association photo
DAY 2 of the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2025 was filled with exciting matches and nail-biting conclusions, highlighted by top seeds being put to the test and rising stars showcasing their talents and capabilities at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym on Wednesday.
In the men’s singles event, number one seed Jeon Hyeok Jin (Korea) went through a three-game exchange with Riki Takei (Japan).
In the first game, Takei’s creativity and somewhat unorthodox approach seemed to catch Jin off guard, resulting in a 21-23 loss.
However, after carefully adjusting and regaining composure, Jin worked his way back with a late rally to hold off Takei, 21-19, and carried that momentum into the third and final set, where he reigned supreme, 21-10.
Sharing a similar story was third seed Misha Zilberman (Israel), who faced off against Kim Byung Jae (Korea) in another three-set thriller.
Zilberman looked to be on the right track after edging Jae in the opening game, 21-19. However, Jae responded by playing to his strengths, taking the second game in stunning fashion, 21-15.
Jae maintained his dominance for much of the third game, holding a comfortable 19-14 lead. But Zilberman steadied his nerves and carefully picked his shots, closing the gap and stealing the win, 23-21, to eliminate Jae and secure a spot in the next round.
“I just believed until the last point that I could continue to play and win, and I think that changed a lot. It’s what gave me the opportunity to win,” Zilberman said.
Joining the highlight reel was Cho Hyeon Woo (Korea), who pulled off a major upset by eliminating second seed Sankar Subramanian (India), 21-18, 16-21, 21-17.
In a highly anticipated women’s singles match, Oceania Champion Shaunna Li (New Zealand) came out victorious against Oceania Junior Champion Faye Huo (Australia) in yet another three-game battle, 21-13, 19-21, 21-16.
Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles event:
• NMI’s Ian Lubao and Leonard Manuel were eliminated in their opening match against New Zealand’s Raphael Deloy and Adam Jeffrey, 21-7, 21-8.
• NMI’s Minul Hoque and Nolan Nate were eliminated by Japan’s Yudai Nagafuchi and Kota Ogawa, 21-11, 21-12.
• NMI’s Brandon Manacop and Andre Zapata were eliminated by Scotland’s Alistair Casey and USA’s Mathew Fogarty, 21-9, 21-10.
