Steven Xavier overcame a severe handicap to defeat Joven Benn in straight games on night three of the Bounty Farm Mash Handicap tournament on Thursday night at the Georgetown Club’s squash facility.
Xavier(-12), who may be one of the top prospects to compete at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Caribbean Championships in Trinidad and Tobago this year, started the match at -9 while Benn (-3) started at zero. Xavier has the second most severe handicap of the tournament behind 2011 Bounty Farm Mash Handicap winner Jason Ray Khalil who is playing with a -20 handicap.
After taking three games to eliminate resurgent player Ingram Edwards in his first match, Xavier was more convincing against the more skilled Benn. Xavier attacked from the onset, closing the deficit quickly to steal the momentum on both occasions. Xavier prevailed [15/8, 15/4]. Other players who had managed to stay alive in the main draw up to Thursday night included Benjamin Meckdeci, Nyron Joseph, Ashley deGroot, Ashley Khalil, Nicholas Narain and Jason Ray Khalil.
The plate rounds of the tournament are beginning to heat up with some of the top players who were recently eliminated from the main draw. Raphael deGroot (-10), who was dispatched by his younger sister on Wednesday night, defeated Jonathon Antczak (+6) in straight games [15/7, 15/9]. Mary Fung-A-Fat also shrugged off her loss to Ashley Khalil the previous night to dominate Hapoei Yang (+10) [16/14, 15/12]. President of the Guyana Squash Association David fernande’s(GSA) bid the tournament goodbye after losing his seconds straight match of the tournament. Fernandes took on Fung-A-Fat in the plate round and lost [15/13, 12/15, 15/13]
Action in the Bounty Farm Mash Handicap tournament continues today and the tournament will conclude tomorrow afternoon. The tournament was organised by the GSA in conjunction with its number one corporate partner Digicel (Guyana) and sponsored by Bounty Farm Limited.
Thursday’s results
Main Draw
Steven Xavier (-12) defeated Joven Benn (-3) [15/8, 15/4]
Category A
Lucas Jonas (+7) defeated Jonathon Edwards (+2) [15/12, 12/15, 15/11]
Demetrius DeAbrue defeated Madison Fernandes [15/13, 17/15]
Alexander Cheeks (-2) defeated Sarah Lewis (+3) [15/13, 15/10]
Dominic Collins (+10) defeated Zachary Persaud (+6) [15/10, 15/9]
Rebecca Low (0) defeated Ethan Jonas (+12) [16/14], 15/12]
Plate
Alec Mellville (+6) defeated Alysa Xavier (+8) [10/15, 16/14, 15/13]
Raphael deGroot (-8) defeated Jonathon Antczak(+6) [15/7, 15/9]
Mary Fung-A-Fat (-2)defeated Hapoei Yang (+10) [16/14, 15/12]
MahendraKhusial (+12) defeated Lee Fung-A-Fat (+8) [15/12,15/10]
Antonio Joseph (+12) defeated Ingram Edwards (+4) [15/13, 15/17, 15/10]
Lydia Fraser (+11) defeated Taylor Fernandes (+9) [15/11, 15/13]
Lloyd Fung-A-Fat (+6) defeated David Fernandes (+10) [15/13, 12/15, 15/13]
