Bernal claims women's singles gold at Lima 2019
Top seed Angelica Bernal of Colombia won the first wheelchair tennis gold medal of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games after the world No. 23 beat fourth seed Macarena Cabrillana of Chile 6-2 6-2 in the women’s singles final in Peru.
The penultimate day of wheelchair tennis action also saw Gustavo Fernandez and Agustin Ledesma earn the men’s doubles gold medal before they meet each other in Friday’s men’s singles final, with Chile’s Alexander Cataldo and Diego Perez also earning their place on the men’s doubles podium.
There was another medal for Argentina in the women’s doubles, while Bryan Barten became the very first winner of a Parapan American Games quad singles bronze medal.
Bernal strikes gold
Four years on from Bernal beating Cabrillana in straight sets in the first round of the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games, the Colombian took a 5-1 lead in their latest meeting, a double fault from Cabrillana bringing up set point before Bernal completed a break to love to seize the initiative.
Another break to love saw Bernal, whose success was watched by Julio Cesar Avila, the Colombian recently elected as President of the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC), take a 3-1 lead in the second set and two games later she hit a crisp cross court forehand winner to make it 5-1.
Cabrillana broke back with a backhand winner to take the next game, but two subsequent double faults from the Chilean’s racket, helped Bernal to close out her 6-2 6-2 victory. Bernal has now secured qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, subject to meeting other additional criteria.
Fernandez, Ledesma head two doubles medals for Argentina
Eight years on from Fernandez and Ledesma winning the men’s doubles silver medal together at the Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games in Mexico, the top seeds went one better in Lima after a dominant performance against USA’s Chris Herman and Casey Ratzlaff.
Fernandes and Ledesma twice broke to love on their way to a 3-0 lead and although the American duo managed to take the sixth and seventh games, the Argentinian partnership continued to excel as they eventually closed out a 6-2 6-0 victory.
Cataldo and Perez secured the men’s doubles bronze medal after beating Brazil’s Gustavo Carneiro and Daniel Rodrigues 6-3 6-3, dominating the second half of both sets of tennis.
Fernandez will now bid to make it three consecutive Parapan American Games men’s singles gold medals when he plays Ledesma in the last of the four matches scheduled on Centre Court on Friday’s last day of competition.
Thursday’s plays saw Argentinian partnerships twice take their place on the medal podium as Nicol Dhers and Maria Florencia Moreno sealed the bronze medal in the women’s doubles. After just 11 minutes of play Dhers and Moreno led Brazil’s Rejane Candida and Meirycoll Duval 4-0 and they went on to take the set without dropping a game.
Although Candia and Duval kept pace with their opponents for the first eight games of the second set, Dhers and Moreno ultimately served out the match to love.
With quad singles making its debut at the Parapan Am Games in Lima, USA will occupy the podium twice on Friday after Barten dominated the bronze medal play-off.
The first of two quad medal matches between Canada and USA saw the world No. 12 ease to a 6-3 6-1 victory over Mitch McIntyre.