NU, Ateneo march to UAAP men's badminton semis

National University (NU) defeated University of the Philippines (UP) 4-1 in the UAAP Season 88 men's badminton tournament, securing their spot in the semifinals and maintaining an undefeated 4-0 record. The match took place at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Malate, Manila.

In the singles matches, MJ Perez of NU won a closely contested game against Shan Clar of UP with scores of 20-22, 21-12, 22-20. However, UP leveled the score when Kervin Llanes defeated Miko Mosarbas 21-11, 21-16. NU then dominated the remaining matches, with Perez and Lanz Zafra winning their doubles match against Mark Bernal and Arjay Philip Lazareto 21-13, 21-17, John Benedict Gam and James Villarante defeating Jelo Albo and Kian Cruz 21-17, 21-14, and Zafra securing another win against JM Estrada 21-10, 21-14.

Ateneo de Manila also advanced to the next round by defeating University of Santo Tomas 5-0. Key victories included Jamal Pandi and Lyrden Laborte beating Ron Galve and Bien Miraflor 21-14, 21-13 in doubles, Lance Vargas defeating Lennox Cuilao 21-16, 21-16, and Robbie Ramos winning against JM Sison 21-10, 21-13. Additionally, Arthur Salvado Jr. and Vargas triumphed over John Vincent Espinoza and Janzen Panisales 21-13, 16-21, 21-11, while Laborte defeated Angelo Tuazon 21-10, 21-17.

NU and Ateneo, both with 4-0 records, are set to face each other in an upcoming match on Saturday at 8 a.m. NU's head coach, Kennie Asuncion-Robles, praised the team's focus and preparation, emphasizing their goal to play one match at a time and improve their performance for a better chance at achieving their objectives.

In another match, Adamson University boosted their semifinal hopes with a 3-2 victory over De La Salle University, highlighted by Nathaniel Acedillo's decisive win against Gift Linaban with scores of 21-18, 21-15.