De Guzman, Padiz-Villabrille tandem advance to North Harbour semifinals

Filipino shuttlers Mikaela De Guzman and men’s pair Solomon Jr. Padiz and Julius Villabrille kept their strong campaign alive in the Maxx North Harbour International Badminton tournament, advancing into the semifinals following compelling triumphs at the Badminton North Harbour Centre, New Zealand, Oct. 3.

Coming fresh from their round-of-16 bids on the same day, the Ateneo standout cruised in the women’s singles clash with a straight-set statement, while Padiz and Villabrille flaunted composure in the decider to ultimately punch their tickets to the final four in the men’s doubles.

Kicking off the Philippines’ championship quest, De Guzman made quick work of Chinese Taipei’s youngster Yi An Yan as she didn’t spare a single set, 21-16, 21-19, blitzing into the semis in dominance.

The 2025 national champion showcased her more seasoned form, dictating the pace early and never looking back against her 17-year-old foe to wrap the match in 39 minutes. 

Meanwhile, Padiz and Villabrille had to dig deep against second seeds Chang Ko-Chi and Po Li-Wei.

After dropping the first set, the National University products stormed back to take control, 11-21, 21-16, 21-15.

With the victories, De Guzman next faces fourth seed Yi En Hsieh of Chinese Taipei, while Padiz and Villabrille will take on third seeds Ching Heng Su and Guan Xun Wu on Oct. 4.