Oba-ob and Albo Set for Semifinal Clash at Philippine Badminton Open
Antipolo City, Philippines – Rabie Jayson Oba-ob, the tournament’s top seed, advanced to the men’s singles semifinals of the 2024 Philippine Badminton Open after a commanding win on Sunday. He recovered from an initial setback to defeat Kervin Llanes from the University of the Philippines at the First Pacific Leadership Academy courts.
According to Philippines News Agency, his strategy was to extend the rallies, capitalizing on his superior endurance, a plan that paid off after 31 minutes of play. His next opponent in the semifinals will be Jelo Albo, a fellow UP student and Smash Pilipinas member, who secured his spot by overcoming Ateneo De Manila University’s Robert Ishmael Ramos.
The other semifinal match will feature West Negros College freshman Clarence Villaflor and Arthur Samuel Salvado Jr., a co-Most Valuable Player from UAAP Season 86, representing Ateneo. Both players aim to showcase their skills in a tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
In the women’s division, reigning champion Mika de Guzman of Ateneo demonstrated her prowess by swiftly defeating Rhea Montañez of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, setting up a semifinal with Karyll Rio of National University. Rio earned her place by edging out Patricia De Leon from the University of Santo Tomas in a closely contested match.
Ysabel Amora from NU will face JLTC’s Anielka Maeve Paz in the other women’s semifinal, promising another exciting showdown.
The mixed doubles competition also saw significant action, with defending champions Julius Villabrille and Nicole Albo cruising into the semifinals. They are poised to compete against John Gregg Paz and Marilou Dacillo, who narrowly defeated their opponents from Adamson University.
Additionally, in men’s doubles, Villabrille partnered with Solomon Padiz Jr. to defeat their university teammates, setting a high standard for the upcoming finals. On the women’s doubles side, Albo and Lea Inlayo dominated their match against UP’s duo, advancing smoothly.
The finals of the Philippine Badminton Open are scheduled to take place at Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong on Tuesday.