Magnaye-Vivas tandem clinches Swiss Open men’s doubles title

MANILA, Philippines - Peter Magnaye and Paul Vivas fought back from the brink and pulled off a tough 6-11, 11-9, 10-11, 11-6, 11-10 victory over top seed Baptiste Careme and Ronan Labar of France to capture the men’s doubles crown in the Swiss International Badminton Championship in Yverdon-Les-Bains in Switzerland recently.

The PBA-Smash Pilipinas duo groped for form in the early going but rebounded from a 1-2 set lead with a convincing win in the fourth then outsteadied the French pair in the decider to snatch the victory.

“We did our best and the result was pretty amazing. It was really great to play for your country and win,” said Vivas, who thanked PBA-Smash Pilipinas Indonesian coach Paulus Firman for guiding them to victory.

“We didn’t get tired despite the exhausting games,” said Magnaye.

Other Filipino players who competed in the tournament were Joper Escueta and Ronel Estanislao (men’s doubles), Jessie Francisco and Eleanor Christine Inlayo (women’s doubles) and Toby Gadi (men’s singles).

Escueta and Estanislao reached the quarterfinals but bowed to Careme and Labar.

Magnaye and Vivas, both members of Team Prima, were among the seven players sent by the Philippine Badminton Association in Switzerland to compete in the four-day tournament sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

It was also the first time the Philippines won the prestigious Swiss Open International, one of the longest and prestigious European Open Circuit tournaments.

“Moreover, beating one of the strongest powerhouse European country in the Badminton world, France, is a great achievement most specially in the open men’s doubles where they are good at,” said Firman.

The eighth seeded Magnaye and Vivas, also the country’s recent Smart National men’s doubles winner, swept Malaysians Alfred Leung Yu Lau and Adam Yu Ming Lau, 11-10, 11-6, 11-3, in the quarters then subdued Germans Raphael Beck and Andreas Heinz, 8-11, 11-10, 11-7, 10-11, 11-4, to reach the finals.