-It’s all up to Nicolette for Guyana
After the morning session of day two of the individual round of the 2008 Cellink Plus Southern Caribbean Championships, all of the Guyanese competitors have been eliminated except one, Nicolette Fernandes.
Fernandes who had peaked at 27th on the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) rankings last year, advanced to the semifinal round of the Ladies’ Open championships by defeating Guyana’s under-15 champion and Caribbean champion Mary Fung-A-Fat 9/1, 9/2 and 9/0.
Fernandes was scheduled to play her semifinal encounter against Barbadian Cherie-Ann Parris, under-19 runner-up at the Caribbean Championships last month.
Keisha Jeffrey was also eliminated in the quarterfinals but not before coming within three points of an upset victory against Barbadian Lilianna White who won the match 9/2, 4/9, 4/9, 9/6 and 9/2.
Guyana’s hope of capturing the men’s title quickly diminished when national champion Kristian Jeffrey was humbled by 195cm tall Barbadian Shawn Simpson 9/3, 4/9, 9/5, and 9/1.
The lofty Simpson, who is also a national volleyball player, operated from the T (in the backcourt) in the first game, getting full extensions on his swing to punish Jeffrey with irretrievable backcourt winners.
Jeffrey managed to disturb his rhythm and forced Simpson in the front court where he was able to put pressure on Simpson’s backhand.
“Kristian was a tough opponent, he came out in the second game and started retrieving everything. He started to put pressure on my backhand and I found myself playing his type of game,” Simpson said.
After trailing 4/5 in the third game, Simpson said that he figured out what he was doing wrong and corrected it instantly, and the rest was history.
Simpson gave up serve twice but won the game without conceding another point (9/5).
It was all gravy for Simpson in the fourth and final game, grabbing serve from Kristian at 1/1, and scoring eight unanswered points to advance to the semi where he will meet James Bentick from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Bentick will have confidence on his side after upsetting the defending champion Gavin Cumberbatch of Barbados in a come-from-behind, five-game thriller 2/9, 3/9, 9/1, 9/0, and 10/8.
Meanwhile Gavin’s younger brother Bryant, took apart ¾ seed Trinidadian Josh Pinard in straight games 9/7, 9/2 and 9/5.
Cumberbatch who is among the 5/8 seeds, pulled off the shocker against Pinard to become the youngest player in the semifinals.
Cumberbatch said that although many persons would not have expected him to win because he has been inactive from competitive squash for sometime, he relied on natural talent and his uncanny ability to read the game which he has been playing from age five, to pull off the upset.
In the Men’s plate, Oliver Kear Downes took Reagan Pollard to the full five games before he was eliminated by the former national champion Pollard 9/7, 6/9, 9/2, 1/9 and 9/1.
Formidable junior player Deje Dais was also knocked out of the consolation round by Mark Sealy of Barbados.
