Carlos finishes strong

BIANCA Carlos continues to be on the rise as she claimed her second and third gold medal after ruling the under-19 division before partnering with Justin Natividad to upend Paul Pantig and Eloise Dionisio for the U-19 mixed doubles plum at the close of the MVP Sports Foundation-Philippine Badminton Ranking System Makati leg at the Makati Coliseum late Wednesday.

Carlos, an ace of the St. Paul College in Pasig, defeated Gelita Castillo for the coveted women’s Open title, her second in this three-leg series. Carlos actually dropped the opening set to Amabel Sumabat in the U-19 finals but picked up her game in the next two to fashion out a 9-21, 21-5, 21-9 victory.

Castilo, meanwhile, took two doubles titles with regular partner Dia Nicole Magno, beating Danica Bolos and Reyne Calimlin, 21-13, 13-21, 21-13, in the Open and Jessie Francisco and Eleanor Inlayo, 21-14, 21-11, in the U-19 category.

Top seed Ronel Estanislao and Paul Vivas outlasted No. 2 Aries delos Santos and Gabriel Villanueva, 21-8, 16-21, 21-15, to cop the men’s Open doubles while Melvin Llanes and Bolos repulsed Wilfredo Amoroso Jr. and Melody Villaceran, 21-18, 22-20, for the Open mixed doubles gold. Elijah Boac and JC Clarito trounced Miguel Leonardo and Jon Masongsong, 21-12, 21-18, to claim the boys’ U-19 doubles diadem.

The Open winners received P70,000 each while the U-19 and U-15 champions took P20,000 and P10,000 each. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio