MALVINNE Alcala and Antonino Gadi hacked out a pair of three-setters over their respective rivals to cop the Open singles crowns while Bianca Carlos and Joper Escueta retained their Under-19 singles titles in the MVP Sports Foundation-Bingo Bonanza Philippine Badminton Ranking System (PBaRS) tournament at the Pohang Badminton Courts in Bacolod City yesterday.
Dragged into the deciding sets by their equally talented foes, Alcala and Gadi poured it all out in the end and came away with big wins over Gelita Castilo and Paul Vivas, respectively, to rule the premier division of the P1 million event. Both pocketed P70,000 each.
Alcala, the reigning Singapore and Australian Juniors champion, who missed the kickoff leg of the four-stage circuit, fought back from an opening set loss with a scary win in the second then outplayed Castilo in the decider to complete a 15-21, 21-19, 21-10 victory.
Gadi, on the other hand, wavered in the second set after a scrambling first set win but regained his form in the third to fashion out a 21-17, 16-21, 21-12 triumph and keep the crown he won over Patrick Natividad in the inaugurals of the event last March.
Carlos, meanwhile, made up for her loss of the Open diadem with a 21-10, 21-15 victory over Ana Patricia Barredo to repeat as champion in the U-19 girls division of the week-long ranking tournament. Escueta likewise kept the U-19 boys crown with a 21-12, 21-12 romp over John Kenneth Monterubio. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio