Grudge match up in FDG Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Ronel Estanislao and Paul Vivas renew their rivalry with Aries delos Santos and Gabriel Villanueva as they vie for the rich P160,000 purse in the Open men’s doubles category of the FDG Cup 2011, National Open and Invitational badminton tournament on July 1-2 at PowerSmash in Makati City.

The two pairs split honors in the first two legs of the PBaRS (Philippine Badminton Ranking System) tournament with the Delos Santos-Villanueva pair winning in their first meeting at PowerSmash before the Estanislao-Vivas tandem squaring off with a straight-set victory in the second leg in Bacolod.

That makes the duel between national team/Victor members worth watching although two more pairs are out to spoil their bid in the event which offers more than P500,000 in cash prizes and held in honor of Frederick Go, president of Robinsons Land Corp. and a top supporter of the sport in the country.

“This year’s edition promises to be the most exciting, this being the first time the FDG Cup will be opened to the public and offering the richest purse in Open doubles category,” said Go.

Also on tap in the event is the Invitational competitions featuring no less than world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, who will play exhibition games with fellow Malaysian ace Koo Kien Keat, currently the world No. 4 in men’s doubles with Boon Heong Tan, on July 2.

Meanwhile, the draw was held yesterday at the Crown Plaza Hotel-Emerald C with the country’s top players gracing the occasion. For details, visit the event’s website on fdgcup.com or contact Nelson Asuncion at 725-4942 or Glenn Encarnacion/Richard Bautista at 0922-8733369.

John Kenneth Monterubio and Gerard Sibayan of Allied-Victor and the Andrei Babad-Peter Magnaye pair are also in the hunt for the richest purse staked in Open doubles category in the event which also features the cream of the country’s badminton crop in ladies doubles.

Malvinne Alcala, Gelita Castilo and Dia Nicole Magno, who swept the Open women’s doubles crowns in the PBaRS’ first two legs, gun for the top P80,000 prize as they try to extend their reign against a field teeming with talent, including the Malvinne Alcala-Danica San Ignacio tandem, the Reyne Calimlim-Pauline Ramos pair from La Salle, and the Jubie Vallarta-Abel Villaran combine from Robinsons Land Corp.