PATJAKE Fieldad and Alvin Alvarez of Shirley’s are off to a strong start in the B Men’s Double Division of the IT&E Badminton Tournament after earning their fourth victory on Saturday at the Ada gym.
Their opponents were Taga’s Allan Li and Hapi Gabriel.
At first, the Taga duo were in control as Hapi Gabriel found his offensive rhythm. His ability to react swiftly caught Shirley’s off guard many times as Taga took a seemingly safe 10-point lead after the first several exchanges.
However, as soon as Shirley’s saw an opening, they returned fire.
The balanced work of Fieldad and Alvarez highlighted their comeback, much to the delight of the spectators.
Although Gabriel and team-mate Allan Li tried to keep their team alive, Alvarez delivered the finishing blows to seal Shirley’s first set victory, 21-19.
In the second set, the Taga duo were ready for redemption as Allan Li started to get more action in the exchange, applying pressure with smashes in hopes to gain control.
But as soon as they found room to breathe, Shirley’s Alvarez and Fieldad also found their footing.
With each offensive unleashed by Taga, Shirley’s defended with success from the back court, thanks mainly to the slick flicks of Fieldad. Paired with Alvarez’s forecourt presence, and mixed with push shots and kills, they were able to fight back and secure the win by a hair, 21-20.
C Women’s Doubles
In the C Women’s Doubles Division, Shirley’s Hiroko and Kazuoko had to fight hard to beat Taga’s Nicole and Lani.
The first set was claimed by Shirley’s, 21-15, thanks to the balanced performance of Hiroko and Kazuoko.
In the second set, the Taga tandem found their momentum as Lani’s clutch performance allowed them to edge Shirley’s 21-20.
But in the third set, Shirley’s played with consistency and eventually overwhelmed Taga to win the match, 21-12.
While team-mate Hapi Gabriel looks on, Taga’s Allan Li leaps for the return during an IT&E Badminton Tournament game Saturday at the Ada gym.
Shirley’s Alvin Alvarez attempts the forehand return as teammate PatJake Fieldad looks on during an IT&E Badminton Tournament game Saturday at the Ada gym.
