Filipina shuttlers Seanna Berce and Psalm Tablante shocked Malaysians Tian Ning Chuah and Cynthia Ooi, 21-18, 17-21, 21-12, yesterday and set up a date with destiny – a girls’ under-15 doubles finals stint in the inaugural Philippine Junior International Series presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong.
The stunner catapulted the 12-year-old duo from Laguna to the finals against another Malaysian tandem in Leanne Fong and Xin Yan Liew, who eliminated Thais Sirikhorn Chongcharoen and Wichyada Nokmow, 21-16, 22-20.
‘We weren’t expecting it because we decided to join in the last minute,’ said Tablante, who hails from Biñan, in this event backed by Yonex, Sunrise, Smart, Gameville Central Park, Cignal, mWell, MVP Sports Foundation, Maynilad, Jollibee, Milksha, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, PLDT, TELESCOOP, and Uratex.
For Berce, who is from San Pablo, it would be anything goes in the finale.
‘Win or lose, it’s okay with us. What’s important is just that we gave it our best to play at this level,’ she said.
Settling for bronzes were the Ellaikha Canillo-Nica Gulpany pair and the Stephen Pantuan-Roaquine Ramos duo.
Canillo and Gulpany stumbled to Thais Kungkaew Kakanik and Montra Sae Jiew, 23-21, 21-12, in the women’s U19 doubles while Pantuan and Ramos fell to Malaysians Yusuf M. Iqbal and Khairul Azan Khashah, 21-16, 21-17, in the men’s U19 doubles.
In the women’s U19 singles, Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen will shoot for glory against Thailand’s Kakanik.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s En Yu Lim and India’s Kyra Raina will face each other for the girls’ U15 crown.
The mixed U19 doubles gold will go to either Malaysia’s Khashah and Nur Aina Maisarah or Vietnam’s Nguyen Tat Duy Loi and Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen.