Villabrille, Albo on track in Philippine Badminton Open

ANTIPOLO CITY, Philippines — Julius Villabrille and Nicole Albo moved a step closer to securing back-to-back golden doubles after handling their multiple assignments on Day 4 of the Philippine Badminton Open yesterday at the First Pacific Leadership Academy (FPLA) here.

Albo, the UAAP Season 80 MVP, hurdled her final two assignments of the day in just under three hours, passing both her Round of 16 women’s doubles match with Lea Inlayo and her Round of 16 mixed doubles match with Villabrille.

The former De La Salle University standout teamed up with partner and close friend Lea Inlayo to bring down National University’s Andria Songcuan and Tia Bualat, 21-10, 21-9. She then played alongside Villabrille for a similar 21-9, 21-11 win over University of the Philippines’ Jason Vanzuela and Eanne Quiamco in this Philippine Super 500 tournament sponsored by Smart, Mizuno, Philippine Sports Commission and the MVP Sports Foundation.

Villabrille, a three-time champion with National University, teamed up with UAAP Season 85 MVP Solomon Padiz Jr. for a 21-6, 21-12 victory over Louise Gabriel Bernardino and Roaquine Mari Ramos in the Round of 16 of the men’s doubles competition of the event also backed by Jollibee, Chowking and the FPLA.

Albo and Inlayo will face UP upstarts Anthea Gonzalez and Sushmita Ramos, who won 21-3, 21-11 over Alexis Repetillo and Marionne De Dios, for a place in the semifinals. Villabrille and Padiz will battle their NU schoolmates John Benedict Gam and Marcjoel Clarence Perez for the same phase.