Former No. 1 Malvinne Ann Alcala sets out against Jeline Masongsong, former national champion Bianca Carlos tests Luisa Baldos’ mettle while Cassandra Lim faces Andrea Ricacho in three of the featured matches kicking off the 2016 FDG Cup Badminton Championships today at Power Smash Badminton Center in Makati.
Alcala, a former Singapore Junior champion who used to dominate local badminton, is on a comeback trail, hoping to use her experience against a slew of talented young players making up the current national pool, headed by Sarah Barredo, Nicole Albo, Mariya Sevilla and Arianne Rivera.
The top four players drew opening round byes in the 32-player women’s Open singles draw with the top-seeded Barredo taking on the winner in the Rae Concepcion-Marinel Dalisay duel; No. Albo battling the victor in the Feeby Ferrer-Joy Capillo clash; No. 3 Sevilla colliding with the winner in the Maxine delos Santos-Shane Salvador faceoff; and No. 4 Rivera squaring off with the victor in the Virginia Lopez-Janina Francisco clash.
Hostilities fires off at 9 a.m. at various courts at Powersmash which also features top matches in the full-packed men’s Open singles draw headed by top seed and defending champion Mark Alcala and No. 2 Kevin Cudiamat.