PERU INT’L – Coelho repeats as Peru champion

Ygor Coelho returned to the scene of his only previous International Challenge success and repeated as winner of the Peru International, while Michelle Li picked up her second singles title there, a week before the Pan Am Championships.

Photos: Badmintonphoto (archives)

Ygor Coelho (pictured left) is now the top ranked men’s singles badminton player in the Pan Am region.  A week before appearing at the continental championship tournament as the top seed, he repeated as winner of the Peru International Challenge, beating Italy’s Rosario Maddaloni in a straight-game final.

Next week, despite his seeding, he will have a very tough field to contend with, as past champions Kevin Cordon, Osleni Guerrero, and Jason Ho-Shue will all be on hand looking for additional titles.  Coelho did edge Guerrero in the quarter-finals but next week, the Cuban will be playing at home for a title he has already won twice.

Canada’s Michelle Li (pictured right) won back the women’s singles title she last took back in 2012, though she has since won a second doubles title in Peru.  She too is the top seed for the Pan Am Championships next week but the top-ranked Pan Am shuttler, world #13 Zhang Beiwen of the USA, will not be competing.

Peru picked up two titles in the doubles events.  Mario Cuba had a chance at two himself but after he and Katherine Winder (pictured bottom) won the mixed doubles handily, he was unable to find the winning formula in men’s doubles against India’s top-seeded Alwin Francis and Tarun Kona.

The home team’s second title instead came in the closest final, where Daniela Macias / Danica Nishimura beat Brazil’s Jaqueline Lima / Samia Lima, in the only all-South American final of the day.  Macias and Nishimura are seeded second for Havana next week but none of the other doubles finalists are seeded for the continental meet.

Final results
XD:  Mario Cuba / Katherine Winder (PER) [3] beat Dennis Coke / Katherine Wynter (JAM) [4]  21-9, 21-9
WS:  Michelle Li (CAN) [1] beat Disha Gupta (USA)  21-10, 21-10
WD:  Daniela Macias / Danica Nishimura (PER) [1] beat Jaqueline Lima / Samia Lima (BRA) [2]  21-19, 22-20
MS:  Ygor Coelho (BRA) [1] beat Rosario Maddaloni (ITA) [2]  21-12, 23-21
MD:  Alwin Francis / Tarun Kona (IND) [1] beat Mario Cuba / Diego Mini (PER)  21-15, 21-15

Click here for complete results