It was a weekend of firsts for Cheryl Gudinas when she took part in the Michael Lanning Pro-Am in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Remarkably, after a career of earning titles at every level, this tournament win marked the first time that Gudinas had attained the women’s pro tour top ranking.

Gudinas has long sought her best finishes in amateur events in order to retain her position on the national team. That dedication has served her well, in winning the recent 2000 World Championships and the Pan-Am games title in 1999. This year, though, Gudinas decided on a new track – an all-out attack on the pro calendar. 

“I’ve never been number one as a pro. I always seem to lose out at the end of the year and finish second or something like that,” Gudinas said. “I have always been concerned about finishing high in the amateur ranks for the national team. But this year I set a goal of winning more pro stops.”

The Minnesota event was Gudinas’ third win of the year, giving her one more than Jackie Paraiso and Canadian Christie Van Hees. All three players had the chance to claim the top ranking in Minnesota, but only Gudinas (shown left) came out on top. It means a great deal to the Illinois native. “It is a huge deal because as the top seed, I don’t have to play Christie or Jackie in the semifinals,” she said.

Van Hees didn’t make the trek down to Minnesota, leaving the top ranking tug-of-war between Paraiso and Gudinas. The sport’s two stars easily made their way through early rounds, then faced tough opponents in the semifinals. Paraiso took on the athletic Rhonda Rajsich in one match, while Laura Fenton brought her all-court game against Gudinas in the other semi. 

Paraiso, who has struggled with tendonitis in her shoulder all season, took out an ounce of revenge on Rajsich. Earlier in the year, Rajsich beat Paraiso in the U.S. Open to reach the final before losing to Van Hees. This time though, Paraiso played a strong control game to keep her younger and quicker opponent off balance. Despite the sore shoulder, Paraiso took out Rajsich in three straight games, 21-16, 21-5, 21-13.

The other semi was much closer. Fenton had to contend with Gudinas’ ability to hit shots when she needed them, while Gudinas wanted to keep Fenton off balance with strong passing shots. The two veterans took part in what best could be called a chess match, each one trying to out-think the other. Gudinas held the upper hand in the first two games, taking an early 2-0 lead, before Fenton nearly snatched game three. In the end, Gudinas was the stronger player, hitting the corners and using a deadly accurate backhand passing shot to seal the win, 21-15, 21-16, 21-19. [Below: Gudinas winds up a forehand against Fenton.]

The final pitted two of the tour’s top names, but offered little of the drama the capacity crowd at Northwest Athletic Club had hoped for. From the outset, Gudinas’ power put Paraiso on the run. Gudinas owned the center of the court, forcing Paraiso to stretch for pin-point passing shots, only to then bury the ball in the corner on a pinch. In what seemed like a short period of time, Gudinas was up 2-0 and in total control of the match.

In between games and during time-outs, Paraiso sought medical attention on her ailing shoulder, which was rubbed down and stretched. Her backhand did not give the former No. 1 player any pause, but she winced openly when she went for a forehand shot. 

“I have chronic tendonitis in my rotator cuff. I just couldn’t bring my arm back to hit a forehand. I skipped a lot of forehands because I can’t hold onto the racket tight enough,” Paraiso said. While her shoulder hurt all through the tournament, she explained that it gets worse the further along she gets. And playing the semifinal and final in the same day made matters worse.

In the third game, down 14-3, Paraiso called a timeout and informed referee Fenton that she was done. Paraiso told a disappointed crowd that her injury was too painful to continue. That gave Gudinas the win and the top ranking, though it wasn’t quite how she’d wanted to claim it.

“I’m not very happy. I’d rather play Jackie and lose than win this way,” Gudinas told the crowd. “There are no achievements without challenges. Everyone gets injuries and I think it just kills your confidence out there.”

The mentally tough Gudinas never let up on Paraiso throughout the match, looking to end it early. Despite her opponents’ injury, this was Gudinas’ day, as she controlled the outcome from the start with accuracy and power.

“It is very frustrating. It was a hard decision to make because I have won a lot of tournaments when I have been injured,” Paraiso said. “I wanted to get that top ranking. People ask me why I still play even though I am injured, and I say it is the chance to be number one.”

For at least one week though, Gudinas claimed the top spot and it will take some doing to wrest it away.

The Michael Lanning Pro-Am is in its second year, but the first for the women’s tour. Proceeds from the tournament benefit Michael Lanning, a former Minnesota player who is paralyzed from a fall at home. At the inaugural Michael Lanning tournament last year, tour players helped raise enough money to present Lanning with a conversion van.