LIKE they did in February’s Tournament of Kings, Gareth and Geordine Henry each topped their Open singles event at the inaugural Constant Spring Golf Club’s ShuttleSMASHERS badminton tournament which ran from Friday to Sunday.

In the male event final, Gareth was off to a rollicking start against a lethargic-looking Willroy Myles, leading 3-0, 12-1, 17-2, and 20-4 before Myles finally got going, winning four straight points to get to eight before Henry closed that game at 21-8. The second game was a much more competitive affair with the lead being interchanged several times before Henry finished it at 21-19.

It was the previous Open ladies singles, however, that had the hall jumping. Unlike the male events where Gareth Henry has pretty much ruled supreme, there has been no single dominant player in the female ranks.

Alya Lewis had been number one for much of last year before Katherine Wynter stepped up to take the national title in October. Then in February’s Tournament of Kings, Geordine Henry, who was better known as a solid doubles and mixed player, surprised many to take that title, winning all her matches in two straight games, inclusive of a semi-final victory over the top seeded Wynter.

The stage was set for a showdown and the crowd was obviously aware of it. Lewis, one of the tournament organisers, elected not to play in this event.

Wynter had the better of the early rallies before Henry gained the ascendency, leading 11-9 at the half-way stage. She continued to gradually widen the lead to close at 21-16. Game two seemed to be anybody’s to win as each player led at different times, the score getting to 17-16 with a now totally focused Wynter leading. Three straight points by Wynter took it to 20-16 and it looked like a three-game match was in the offing.

Then, with cheering spectators jumping from their seats at times, Henry closed the gap, point by agonising point, deucing the game at 20-20. The next point, the fifth straight for Henry, made it match point. An intense rally ended with Wynter making a desperate dive for a shuttle that appeared to be going out of court. She failed to make the return. She was still flat on the court when umpire Annmarie Watson announced “Match to Henry 21-16, 22-20” as applause for the two players shook the hall.

That made it six unanswered points to finish the match. This preserved Geordine Henry’s record of not dropping a single game in tournament play this year.

Each of the open winners will receive $10,000 to be presented at the end of the doubles section of the event scheduled for May 23, 25 and 26.

With this year’s Pan American Junior Championships scheduled for June, the coaches would have noted encouraging performances from a few junior players, inclusive of a second-place finish in the D Division by diminutive 4′ 5″ nine-year-old Zane Reid who confronted the six-footer Kevaughn Johnson in the final.

Other juniors to shine were 13- year-old Shane Wilson, who made it to the B final; Under-19 player Samuel Ricketts, who had a three- game loss to the runner-up, Willroy Myles, in the Open men’s singles and of course, Katherine Wynter, runner-up in the Open.