Celine Vinot and Caitlin Dransfield are no strangers. They’ve been opponents. They’ve been teammates. And, the two Australians have both represented their country on the world stage—Dransfield at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and Vinot at Paris 2024.
Both in the SL3 classification, their match was a highly-anticipated affair, with other players and supporters lining the courtside. In their last three VICTOR Oceania Para Badminton Championship appearances, Dransfield reigned supreme. Despite this, Vinot approached this afternoon’s match the same as she would any other.
“It was a challenging game and I knew that going into it,” Vinot said. “I didn’t really change my approach, we’ve played each other before and I could go either way depending on the day. It was a really good match to play and I’m happy with the outcome.”
After two close games, Vinot closed out the match winning 21-17, 22-20 over Dransfield.
In SL3 SU5 mixed doubles , the international pair of Thomas Slade (NZL) and Regina George (PNG) made an impact. Facing Australia’s Remi Foster and Caitlin Dransfield, the pair needed a strong performance to upset the competition. Between Edward’s forecourt dominance and Slade’s endurance and power, they quickly raced to a lead against the Australians. After taking the first, they never looked back and won the match 21-15, 21-10.
Another thriller came from the matchup of Katelyn Colley (AUS) and Issac Ume (PNG) in the SH6 singles. Ume took the early lead, but Colley evened the score in the second. The match looked like it could go either way, with both sides teetering on the side of victory throughout the entire third. In the end, a couple of clever shots from Ume awarded him the win.
The final score was 21-7, 18-21, 21-19.
On the wheelchair courts, Mischa Ginns (AUS) showed why she’s ranked fifth in the world. Dominating her singles match 21-1, 21-1, she returned to the court later in the day for mixed doubles alongside Lochan Cowper to take on Grant Manzoney and Macka Mackenzie in an All-Australian match. Cowper/Ginns moved around the court like clockwork, covering each other seamlessly and avoiding gaps. After 19 minutes, Cowper and Ginns secured the match 21-8, 21-6.
