JORDAN Pangilinan and Joseph Torres along with Hannah Choi and Michaella Serrano barged into the men’s doubles finals of the CNMI Badminton National Championships by dispatching their respective opponents at the TSL Sports Complex on Friday last week.
Pangilinan and Torres were nearly unstoppable against Nicomedez Antonio and Paulo Quidato. In the first set, the footwork and quick reaction time of Pangilinan and Torres gave them the upper hand as they led as much as six points.
Antonio and Quidato fought back with persistency and had a short offensive run, but as soon as Pangilinan and Torres regained momentum, they quickly finished off their opponents to claim the first set 21-8.
Although Antonio and Quidato fought even harder in the second set, it was still not enough. For every attack they unleashed, Pangilinan and Torres had the right answer.
In the end, the Pangilinan and Torres tandem proved to be an irresistible force, winning the second set, 21-9, to secure their spot in the finals.
This weekend, Nathan Guerrero and Hajin Oh will face Daniel Macario and Ezekiel Macario for the other final slot.
Women’s doubles
In the women’s doubles, Janelle Pangilinan and Jen Savellano will face Hannah Choi and Michaella Serrano in the finals.
In the semis, Janelle and Jen defeated Miles Guerrero and Malou Malasarte by establishing control early in the first set with proper returns and smart placements, forcing their opponents to commit errors. Janelle and Jen won the first set, 21-7.
However, in the second set Guerrero and Malasarte started to find some cracks in their opponents’ defense to stay within reach, but once Janelle and Jen regained their footing it was all over but the shouting. They clinched the set with a 21-11 victory.
For their part, Choi and Serrano made it into the finals after taking down Jen Cardino and Lucelle Lampera.
The first set seemed easy for Choi and Serrano who won 21-6. But in the second set, Cardino and Lampera’s communication worked well as they covered all corners and stayed close. However, Choi and Serrano kept their heads up and finished strong to take the second set 21-15 and win the match.
Mixed doubles
In the mixed doubles division, Nathan Guerrero and Janelle Pangilinan are headed to the finals after eliminating Cris Hilario and Michaella Serrano, 21-12, 21-19.
Joseph Torres and Hannah Choi will battle Jordan Pangilinan and Malou Malasarte for the other spot in the finals.
Jordan Pangilinan extends for the back hand save during a CNMI Badminton National Championship game Friday last week at the TSL Sports Complex.
Nathan Guerrero preps for the serve during a CNMI Badminton National Championship game Friday last week at the TSL Sports Complex.
