De Guzman, Padiz-Villabrille duo secure podiums at North Harbour badminton tourney

Filipino shuttlers Mikaela De Guzman and men’s doubles representative Solomon Jr. Padiz and Julius Villabrille bagged runner-up honors at the recently concluded 2025 Maxx North Harbour International badminton tournament at the Badminton North Harbour Centre, New Zealand, Oct. 5.

De Guzman showcased pure Filipino spirit throughout, pulling the rug from tournament favorites in the early stages before bowing down to Chinese Taipei’s Ciou-Tong Tung in a three-set affair, 12-21, 21-11, 21-14, to finish as the first runner-up in the championship match.

Meanwhile the Padiz-Villabrille tandem was sent packing by the mighty Taipei-based duo of Ching Heng Su and Guan Sun Wu, who finished as the contest’s champions, after being swept 21-14, 21-17, to settle for a third-place finish with Japan’s Yudai Nagafuchi and Kota Ogawa

Right out of the gates, De Guzman banked on sharp crosscourt hits to mount a 7-1 run late in the opening set. 

However, errors haunted the 2025 national champion in the second frame after yielding up to 11 points off to faults, allowing her opponent to force a rubber set.

Ateneo’s three-time UAAP MVP looked poised in rebounding after flashing a four-point blitz to keep within reach early in the third canto at 8-all, but multiple unforced errors down the stretch derailed her comeback as Tung pulled away with a 9-3 closing run.

Men’s doubles world no. 52 Taipei representatives made quick work in the first set after torching the Filipino delegates with a 10-1 spree, 19-12—a deficit they never relinquished.

Padiz and Villabrille looked steadier in the second frame, trading blows in 12 deadlocks before Su and Wu broke away with a 4-0 surge to clinch the win and advance to the finals.

Wrapping up their performance at the Oceana-based tilt, De Guzman and the Padiz-Villabrille duo will look to pocket their experiences and learnings for the nearing SEA Games 2025 held at multiple cities in Thailand, on Dec 9-20 this year.