Asuncions shine in mixed doubles

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The tested brother-sister tandem of Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion provided some bright spot for the Philippines’ floundering campaign in Day One of the 2007 Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open Badminton Championships, sweeping Filipa Lamy and Alexandre Paixao of Portugal at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila.

Leaning on a big first-set game, the Asuncions dominated the Portuguese tandem then hung tough with key hits in the second to complete a 21-13, 21-17 win Wednesday for a spot in the Last 16.

But the road to mixed doubles glory looks tough for the Asuncions as they are set to face the winner between fourth seed Katrin Piotrowski and Ingo
Kindervater of Germany and Chien Yu Chin and Hsieh Yu Hsin of Chinese Taipei Thursday.

The Asuncions finished runner-up here last year, succumbing to the Thai pair of Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam in two sets.
“We started big, that was the key,” said Kennevic, the lone Fillipino qualifier in the men’s singles who was also eventually booted out in the first round.