Barredo, Sevilla seal title clash in Ming Youth Cup

National juniors teammates Sarah Joy Barredo and Mariya Anghela Sevilla survived a pair of first-set scares and hurdled their respective rivals to forge a showdown for the crown in the PBA-Victor Ming Ramos Youth Cup Badminton Championships at the PSC Badminton Hall at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex yesterday.

The top-seeded Barredo turned back Qian Xi Orillaneda’s gritty stand in the early going and went on to fashion out a 21-19, 21-8 victory while the joint No. 2 Sevilla hung tough against Airah Albo to hack out a 22-20, 21-11 victory in the girls’ Under-15 Final Four.

Barredo likewise made it to the finals of the U-17 category with a 21-13, 21-17 win over Aldreen Concepcion. She will dispute the crown against the winner in the Sevilla-Albo semis clash in the event held in honor of Philippine Badminton Association honorary chair and former First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos.

Katrina Togado of St. Scho Bacolod held off Mikaela de Guzman, 21-18, 21-18, and Susmita Ramos of Trinity Christian/ETC dominated Kyla Cruz, 21-8, 21-13, to advance to the finals of the girls’ U-13 class of the tournament sanctioned by the PBA headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay, chair Manny Pangilinan and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez.

Yuan Tan foiled Enrico Salapong, 21-18, 23-21, to arrange a title duel with John Carlos Sanchez, who routed Jhustine Dionisio, 21-8, 21-6, in the boys’ U-11 category.