The Charles Pyne versus Gareth Henry match in Sunday's All Jamaica Senior Badminton Championships at the Constant Spring Golf Club's badminton hall, lived up to expectations as in a tense hard-fought duel comprising three deuced games, Pyne came home the winner 22-20, 21-23, 26-24.
It was a ding-dong affair as in game one Henry looked the winner with an 18-11 lead and actually got to game point at 20-17 before five consecutive points gave Pyne that game. In the second game, after being fairly level in the early exchanges, Pyne led by four points at 15-11 and by three at 19-16, only to see Henry get to 20 before him (20-19), and win that one on his second game point.
With a vociferous crowd cheering on their favourite, neither player was able to eke out a commanding lead in the final game and it went down to the wire with Henry having match points at 20-18 and 20-19. Pyne was on top at he was a point from victory at 21, 22 and 23 before Henry had a third match point at 24-23. Three unanswered points then gave Pyne the match.
Partnered
Pyne went on to take a second title when he teamed with Christine Leyow-Mayne in the mixed doubles to again defeat Henry who was partnered by Kristal Karjohn 21-13, 20-22, 21-17.
Ladies champion Alya Lewis who only contested the singles had things fairly easy as she put away Carla Grant 21-15, 21-10. In the ladies doubles Leyow-Maine and Karjohn had a bit of a scare from the junior pair of Shana-Kay Bailey and Sheinell Hyatt before coming away victors at 23-21, 21-13. This gave Leyow-Mayne two titles.
Henry, the only player to make all three finals, was the men's doubles winner as he paired with Garron Palmer to put away the Myles brothers, Vijay and Willroy, 21-16, 22-20 for his only win on the night.
The complete results are:
Men's singles: Charles Pyne def Gareth Henry 22-20, 21-23, 26-24;
Women's singles: Alya Lewis def Carla Grant 21-15, 21-10;
Men's doubles: Gareth Henry & Garron Palmer def Willroy Myles & Vijay Myles 21-16, 22-20s;
Women's doubles: Christine Leyow-Maine & Kristal Karjohn def Shana-Kay Bailey & Sheinell Hyatt 23-21, 21-13;
Mixed doubles: Charles Pyne & Christine Leyow-Maine def Gareth Henry & Kristal Karjohn 21-13, 20-22, 21-17.