JUST A week after coming across from her native Cuba, Solange Labastide reached three finals in the Chinese Association Badminton Tournament, and walked away with two titles at Chinese Association, St Ann's, two weekends ago. (See Page 49)

Overwhelming favourite Kerwyn Pantin expectedly captured the men's crown, but the real story of the one-week event was the unknown Labastide.

The Cuban did not drop a single set from four matches in the women's singles draw, and her victims included the two seeded players. Labastide had taken out top-seeded Nekeisha Blake 21-14, 21-19 in the quarterfinals and absolutely crushed her second-seeded doubles partner Leanna Castanada 21-9, 21-3 for the title.

Castanada got into the title match with a hard-fought 21-15, 22-24, 21-14 triumph over Daysha Francis, while Labastide's toughest match came in the semifinals when she defeated Barbadian Shari Watson 21-17, 21-18.

There were two other Bajans in the draw, and both were far from disgraced. Mariama Eastman went under 21-13, 21-18 to the eventual champ in the first round, while Tamisha Williams beat this country's top junior Jade Joseph 21-15, 21-19 in her opener but then went out 21-10, 13-21, 21-17 against Castanada in the quarters.

In the women's doubles final, Labastide and Castanada defeated Williams and top under-15 player Kristi Reno-Singh 22-20, 21-14.

Labastide just missed out on a triple crown when Bajans Watson and Kevin Wood came from behind to nose out the Cuban and former top player Derwin Renales 18-21, 21-14, 23-21 in the mixed doubles final. Pantin and Blake were seeded to win the title, but they lost their first match 21-9, 21-17 against Barbadians Eastman and Nicholas Reifer.

Bajans also accounted for Pantin and No. 1 under-18 player Otis Fleary 18-21, 21-16, 21-18 in the men's doubles semis, but Reifer and Dakeil Thorpe were then beaten 21-16, 19-21, 21-14 in the title match by compatriots Wood and Andrew Clarke.

There was no stopping Pantin in the singles, however, as he dropped just one set from four matches en route to the title. That set was the opening one of the final, but the top-seeded five-time national champ then bounced back impressively to dismiss German Milind Ogale 19-21, 21-7, 21-12.

Pantin had beaten top under-17 player Matthaus Wilford 21-17, 21-12, and then halted Bajans Reifer (21-19, 21-15) and Wood (21-13, 21-15) to reach the title match.

The sixth-seeded Ogale upset No. 2 seed Thorpe 11-21, 22-20, 21-16 in the quarters and then scored a hard-fought 21-19, 19-21, 21-16 triumph over third seed Allister Espinoza before running into Pantin.

Top doubles player Justin Su returned to singles after a long absence and reached the quarters before going out 21-12, 21-13 against last year's top junior, Espinoza.