JAMAICA'S top women's player, Nigella Saunders, and her partner Sandra Jimena of Peru were beaten in the women's doubles final at the Peru International badminton tournament yesterday.

Saunders and Jimena went down in straight sets, 15-5, 15-7, to the Canadian pair of Robbyn Hermitage and Milaine Cloutier in the final.

Saunders and Jimena reached the women's doubles final by defeating the number two and three seeded teams. They beat second seed Piler Bellido and Fina Salazar of Peru 15-5 and 15-3, and third seeded Loereno Blanco and Ximena Bellido also of Peru 15-9, 15-12. In their first-round game they won 15-7, 16-17, 15-13 over the Cuban pair of Edith Loza and Yesenia Leon.

In the women's singles, Saunders lost to Jimena in three hard-fought sets, 11-5, 12-13 and 11-9.

Jamaica's Charles Pyne also played in the senior tournament. He got a very hard draw and played the second seed in the tournament, Ardi Wiranata of the United States.

Wiranata, who was once the world No. 1 player playing for Indonesia but retired and moved to the US where he is now national coach, beat Pyne 15-3, 15-8.

In the mixed doubles, Pyne and Saunders lost to Michael Beres and Kara Somuldson, Canada's top pair, 13-15, 15-10, 15-1.

Saunders is now in Chile for an international tournament where she will compete in singles and doubles. Pyne will play in the Peru Junior International in singles and doubles. Both tournaments start tomorrow.

Junior player Raymond Hamilton will compete in the singles and team with Pyne in the doubles.

Meanwhile, defending champions Shortwood Giants took over the lead in the Lucozade Inter-Club Badminton League by scoring a crushing 5-0 win over Racketeers in Division B over the weekend.

Racketeers' defeat dropped them to second place. Mandeville Rangers, one of the hot contenders for the championship, suffered a disappointing defeat when they lost 3-2 to Patriots .

In Division C, Mandeville Rangers I crushed Cable and Wireless II 5-0 to be on level points with Shortwood Giants I.

Mandeville Raiders soared ahead in Division Two by brushing aside Blue Rockets and Mutual Panthers 5-0 respectively. YMCA Challengers edged University of Technology One 3-2, while Racketeers downed Alcapeppa 3-2.