The team, known here as Portside-Cebu, didn't get the breaks in its first team tie as they bowed to Peregrine Manila Badminton Center, 1-2.
The ladies doubles pair of Allaine Arias and Jesselle Solivas lost a heartbreaker of a match to Leitz Altuna and Violy Alipio 10-15, 15-12, 14-17.
The Arias-Solivas tandem reached match point at 14-12 in the rubber set, only to crumble to pressure as the Peregrine side tied the game at 14-all and streaked to a 17-14 win.
Ogie Laranas and Monching Aquino later bowed to the pair of Gary Tulio and Mark Mayo 2-15, 11-15 in the men's doubles. Although Peregrine was assured of winning the team tie, the Dihiansan-Juan went on to rip the pair of Richard Tan and Hayley Go 15-6, 15-7 in the third match of the tie and earn a morale-boosting point for Portside-Cebu.
Portside-Cebu recovered their bearings as they beat Myan's Badminton Center, 2-1, in their other team tie in a must-win situation that meant a trip to the playoff round.
But it didn't come easy.
The Arias-Solivas pair defeated Wilma Francisco and Nori Jane Aurelio 17-14, 15-12, in ladies doubles. But the Laranas-Aquino men's doubles team lost to Deo Pulido and Jimson Consignado 15-11, 4-15, 7-15, to tie the series at 1-all.
With the mixed doubles match serving as the decider match on whether or not Portside would qualify for the playoffs, the Dihiansan-Juan pair rose to the occasion to outlast Alex Bartolay and Ivy Silva 11-15, 15-9, 15-11, and seal the win for Portside.
Cheering the visiting team was a group of Manila-based Cebuano relatives and friends of the Portside-Cebu players. The team was playing pre-tournament favorite Quezon City Sports Club in the quarterfinals as of this writing.