All-Stars tie Smash Killers for lead

The Green All-Stars notched a big win in the penultimate round of the 2nd Traders Insurance Badminton Team Tournament to gain a share of the lead in the eight-team field.

The All-Stars nearly swept the Red Dragon Shuttlers, 4-1, on Day 6 of the tournament Friday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

With the win, the All-Stars improved to a 24-11 record tying the Smash Killers for the No. 1 spot.

The Smash Killers also won on Day 6, but got only three points against the Net Fighters making the battle for the championship an exciting race between the former and the All-Stars.

Delivering the needed victories for the All-Stars were the pairs of Edwin Montoya and Gerry Balarao, Christy Villaflor/Ruby Gozon, Villaflor/Lea Estinopo, and Balarao/Jojo Savellano.

Hapi Gabriel and Gigi Zapanta gave the Shuttlers their lone win in the match topping Montoya and Estinopo in straight sets in the mixed doubles AB, 21-15, 21-15.

Montoya later teamed up with Balarao in the men's doubles AB and downed Gabriel and Noli Santos, 21-9, 21-11.

Villaflor joined forces with Gozon in the women's doubles BC to thwart Merlie Savellano, 21-10, 21-18. In the women's doubles BB, Villaflor and Estinopa defeated Malou Mendoza and Zapanta, 21-13, 21-16.

Balarao and Jojo Savellano gave the All-Stars their fourth win after outlasting Santos and Jun Pineda, 21-18, 21-14.

In other results, the Bad Masters outclassed the Blue Powers, 3-2, to share the No. 3 spot with the Red Dragon Shuttlers.

The Gray Hawks prevailed over D'Bombers, 4-1, to improve to a 20-15 record and claim solo second place.

The Blue Powers and the Net Fighters are tied with identical 15-20 slates, while D'Bombers are at the bottom of the team standings with a 9-26 mark.