JAMAICA trounced Puerto Rico 5-0 in men’s Thomas Cup but folded to Mexico and Canada in the women’s Uber Cup in Lima, Peru Thursday.

Both tournaments are used as qualification for next year’s Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

World-ranked players Charles Pyne and Gareth Henry led the way for the Dr Kingsley Ford-coached Jamaica to blank Puerto Rico 5-0 in Thomas Cup.

Pyne, ranked 165 in the world, polished off Puerto Rican Hector Rios 21-10, 21-13 while Gareth Henry, ranked at 250th in the world, overpowered Fred Hernandez 21-18, 21-18.

In the third singles, Garron Palmer made light of Aleandro Roman 21-13, 21-13 while Anthony McNee and Dennis Coke as well as Henry and Palmer won their doubles matches to sweep the Puerto Ricans.

However, yesterday morning, USA defeated Jamaican 3-2 with only Pyne and Henry winning their singles matches, but Jamaica losing the other single and two doubles encounters.

Pyne overpowered American Nicholas Jinadasa 21-15, 21-19 and Henry survived Arnold Setiada 21-16, 17-21, 21-17. Palmer, Pyne and Coke, and Palmer and Henry had no answer for American opponents in the other matches.

Meanwhile, in the Uber Cup Jamaica lost to Mexico 2-3 and Canada 0-5 Thursday and were eliminated from the tournament.

Against the Mexicans Olympian Nigella Saunders defeated Victoria Montero 22-20, 21-8 and teamed up with Alya Lewis to win one of the two doubles 11-21, 21-17, 21-18.

Lewis and Carla Grant lost their singles while Grant and Crystal Karjohn lost their doubles match.

However, the Canadians were too strong for the Jamaicans, evidenced when their world number 128 Joycelyn Ko fought off Saunders 21-19, 17-21, 21-19 in the first singles in a match that lasted 50 minutes.

But the other Jamaicans failed to put any resistance.

The men were gearing up for battle with Colombia last night. The Colombians drew blank in both their matches Thursday, against the USA and Guatemala.