Swan River's Crystal Zamzow made the short trip to Brandon over the weekend to play some badminton and what a weekend it ended up being. She took part in the 2020 Yonex Westman Open in the U15 girls singles event.

Taking part in the eight-person event, Zamzow finished on top as she won all of her matches, in straight sets. In her first game, she took down Isabelle Unger, 21-11, 21-5. Zamzow would continue to roll in her semifinal match as she beat Joy Mayes, 21-16, 21-18.

Only Laure Dizengremel was left in Zamzow's way of a title and the Swan River native didn't back down. Crystal would dominate the final as she only gave up a combined 15 points over the two sets on her way to a title.

"It felt really good to win that tournament. In my semifinal, it was 17-17 in the second set and I was able to win four of the next five points to win, so that was a good feeling," said Zamzow. "I had a really good combination of quickness, power, and soft game around the net. 

When it comes to the preparation for this tournament, there was a lot for the Swan River native. She's practiced hard for the past four years and there is no doubt that the practice has paid off.

"My mom, Larry Kooistra, and Larry Henderson have all helped me a lot through the years so I feel my fundamentals are quite strong," added Zamzow.

Winning in Brandon was the second time Crystal has had that feeling recently. She also won a U15 tournament in Winnipeg. Next up, she'll play in another tournament at the Winnipeg Winter Club next month. 

The badminton season really picks up in April and May. Fresh off that win in Brandon, Crystal knows exactly what she needs to work on to have continued success.

"I really need to fine-tune my drop shots and also improve my pre-shot footwork," she concluded. "That stuff comes with practice. I also have to continue with my strong serve, consistency, and power because those few things helped me succeed in Brandon."

Crystal also did wonders on another court over the weekend. The Swan River South Sabres won the Mackenzie Magic grade eight girls tournament and Crystal was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player for her efforts.