Giuffre, Baldauf capture badminton singles crowns

Baldauf later teamed up with compatriot David Obernosterer to win the mixed doubles, while the Mexican pairs of Luis Ramon Garrido and Lino Munoz (men’s doubles) and Haramara Gaitan and Sabrina Solis (women’s doubles) also emerged victorious on the day.

Four out of the five fixtures were determined in the third and final set, and three matches lasted between 50 and 61 minutes in duration.

The first final set the tone for the day’s proceedings with Giuffre meeting Garrido in the men’s singles, and the match — which lasted 59 minutes — was a nail-biting affair.

Garrido took the first game 21-18 but Giuffre rallied to take the second game 25-23. The fans were at the edge of their seats with both players going nip and tuck before Garrido sent a return long and Giuffre could not hide his joy as he won the decider 22-20.

The women’s singles title-decider followed a similar pattern, with Baldauf facing Italy’s Jeanine Cicognini.

Cicognini had a fast start and never looked back in the first game, which she won 21-16. But Baldauf returned the favour in the second, winning by a similar 21-16 scoreline.

The lanky Baldauf had the momentum on her side, and she breezed to a 21-10 win in the decider, in a match lasting only 33 minutes.

Arguably, the most pulsating encounter was the men’s doubles final, featuring Garrido and Lino Munoz against fellow Mexicans Job Castillo and Antonio Ocegueda. For the 61 minutes that the players were on the court, the duos showed skill, determination and grit, which earned numerous applause from the spectators.

Garrido, trying to atone for his failure to claim the men’s singles crown, and Munoz won the first game 21-16 but they were unable to close out the game in the second game, as Castillo and Ocegueda dug deep to prevail 24-22.

Garrido needed treatment on the court for cramps, but he was not going to be denied this time around, as he had some impressive returns while his partner Munoz showed great energy as they held off their opponents 21-19 in the last game.

It was further success for Mexico, as Gaitan and Solis called on all their reserves to get past compatriots Cynthia Gonzalez and Mariana Ugalde 19-21, 23-21, 23-21.

This game took 50 minutes to complete, as the drive and guts shown by the diminutive duo of Gaitan and Solis overcame the challenge of their taller and bigger opponents.

Gonzalez had only 15 minutes to rest before the mixed doubles final, while Baldauf had over two hours to recuperate from her gruelling women’s singles final.

In the end, the partnership of Baldauf and Obernosterer took 28 minutes to get past the Gonzalez-Munoz combination 21-15, 21-19.

In related news, Newsday was the main sponsor of the five-day event, while the other sponsors were Caribbean Airlines, Solo, PTSC, Ministry of Sport, Republic Bank, Ultra Lubricants, NLCB, Yonex, Robby’s Engineering and General Services Limited, Badminton PanAm, Guardian Angel Academy (US-based) and Happy Knitting Angels Garments.