SUSMITA Ramos pulled off a stunning sweep in the deciding singles match to steer University of the Philippines into a 3-2 escape from National University in the UAAP Season 87 Women's Badminton tournament on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Manila.

The third-year Fighting Maroon kept her composure in the second-game rally to deny Lady Bulldogs captain Sarah Barredo an extension, finishing the match in 43 minutes, 21-11, 21-18.

The second straight win from UP put them into a share of the lead with the defending four-time champion Ateneo, which had to endure a gritty fight with rival De La Salle University for a 5-0 win.

In the other Sunday tie, University of Santo Tomas got its breakthrough this season against Adamson University, 4-1.

Reigning three-time MVP Mika De Guzman and rookie Althea Dawn Ocampo had to endure the challenge of Viana Antonio and Mia Manguilimotan in a 63-minute back-and-forth action, 17-21, 21-11, 21-16 in the first doubles match to take the titleholder's second consecutive win.

Meanwhile, Lady Shuttlers Patricia De Leon and Mariell Alvarez dominated Lady Falcons' Justin Barasona and Jennifer Ondol, 21-10, 21-14 for their side's first win of the season.

After De Guzman, the Ateneo captain, waylaid Ghiselle Bautista with a 36-minute work, 21-9, 21-14, a long battle ensued between the Blue Eagles and the Lady Green Shuttlers.

Angel Valle needed an hour and 13 minutes to subdue Lady Tuario in the second singles match, 21-12, 16-21, 23-21, before De Guzman and Ocampo needed a similar tussle to secure the tie. Maxene Olango and Feeby Ferrer also took more than an hour -- 66 minutes to be exact -- to turn back Jacqueline Pantoja and Bautista, 21-18, 17-21, 21-18.

Ocampo completed the sweep with a 21-19, 21-9 over Manguilimotan to end the second day of eliminations after more than five hours.

UST and AdU split the first two singles matches to start the day. De Leon swept past Marriane Barcelona, 21-18, 21-16 for the España-based side, while Key Fuerte took down Angelina Vitangcol, 21-14, 21-15 for the squad from San Marcelino.

Fuerte's win was the only one that came from the Lady Falcons as Jennifer Saladaga and Rhafi Santos cruised past Camille Buagas and Graziel Cabriga, 21-10, 21-16, while Reshane Nicor got a debut win at the expense of Aleyha Villanueva, 21-11, 11-21, 21-10, to close the tie.

Ateneo and UP will go for third straight wins when they face UST and ADU, respectively, while NU will go for a bounce back when they tackle DLSU next.

All ties are scheduled on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the same Malate venue.