Top Jamaican player Gareth Henry was the toast on the opening day of the 2017 Jamaica International Badminton Championship (JIBC), by winning all of his matches played at the National Indoor Sports Centre (NISC) in Kingston on Thursday.

Henry, the highest world-ranked local player, dominated his opponents in the men’s singles, men’s doubles and the mixed doubles to move on to the quarter finials in the four-day tournament.

In the men’s singles, Henry easily brushed aside fellow Jamaican Albert Myles 21-11 and 21-11 in the round of 32 before beating Milan Dratva of Slovakia 21-12 and 21-17 in the round of 16.

Henry will now face Jan Frohlich, the number two seed form the Czech Republic. Frohlich earlier defeated Jamaica’s Nicardo Reid 21-12 and 21-9.

In other results, Anthony McNee defeated Kyle Seixas of Panama 21-11 and 21-12 in the first round and then got the better of fellow Jamaican Kenneth Anglin 27-25, 13-21 and 21-11 to book his quarter-final spot against Denmark’s Soren Toff, who earlier dispatched Jamaican Shaquille Palmer 21-7 and 21-7.

Mathew Lee got by fellow Jamaican Bradley Graham 21-15, 15-21 and 21-4 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Matej Hinican from Slovakia, who earlier defeated Jamaica’s Kemar Valentine 21-17 and 21-16. The other quarter-final match will be contested between Adam Mendrek from Czech Republic, who got Jamaica’s Dennis Coke 21-8 and 21-13, and Luke Couture from Canada, who defeated Jamaica’s Craig Allison 21-18 and 21-13.

In the women’s equivalent, top Jamaican Katherine Wynter eased by fellow Jamaican Alana Bailey 21-12 and 21-8, Taina Daley disposed of her compatriot Stefani Brown 21-11 and 21-10. Jamaica’s Tahlia Richardson lost 21-7 and 21-9 to Leanne Choo from Australia. In the fourth game, Mikaylia Haldane bullied fellow Jamaican Esther Reynolds with a 14-21, 21- 15, 21-15 victory.

In the quarter-finals, Rachel Honderich from Canada will tackle Jamaica’s Katherine Wynter; local badminton queen Geordine Henry will face fellow Jamaican Taina Dailey; Mikaylia Haldane will take on compatriot Shezelle Terisa Mctyson; Leanne Choo (Australia) will play Slovakia’s Martina Repiska.

Over in the men’s doubles, Henry teamed up with Garron Palmer and defeated fellow Jamaicans Nicardo Reid and Mathew Yee-Grant 21-16 and 21-18; Graig Allison and Dwayne Watson of Jamaica whipped Adier Aldeano and Kyle Seixas from Panama 21-9 and 21-10; Demarley Edwards and Kemar Valentine (Jamaica) defeated Christopher Beecher (Jamaica) and Anthony Murillo (Panama) 21-10 and 21-6. Bradley Graham and Albert Myles (Jamaica) defeated Demar Demar and Kirk Francis (Jamaica) 21-10 and 21-18; Dennis Coke and Anthony McKnee beat Che Beckford and Shaquille Palmer (Jamaica) 21-11 and 21-16 and Kenneth Anglin and Matthew Lee (Jamaica) beat Jon Michael Linton and Kraig Simpson (Jamaica) 21-15 and 27-25.

Henry ensured he is still in the running for all three events he has entered when he teamed up with sister Geordine and got the better of Milan Dratva and Martina Repiska from Slovakia 19-21, 21-14 and 25-23 in the mixed doubles.

In the other mixed doubles match, Craig Allison and Alana Bailey defeated fellow Jamaicans Kenneth Anglin and Ester Reynolds 21-16 and 21-18.

All the quarter-finals were scheduled to be played last evening.