Guyana continued where they left off from yesterday’s morning session at the 2009 Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) championships in Barbados with Daina King capping off a very successful first day for the team.
Playing in her last junior CASA, King dug deep to surprise everyone with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over outstanding Jamaican Brooke Burrowes.
Burrowes had gotten off to a quick start and took the first game 11/5.
But from the second game onwards, King played very intelligent squash and stuck to her strengths by finishing the rallies early with some emphatic “kill” shots.
She narrowly lost the second 11/13 after a couple of game balls, but by the third game, the momentum had shifted in King’s favor and she stuck with it until the end to pull off a remarkable victory.
This means that at least one Guyanese will feature in the semifinals of all four girls’ categories.
Guyana is already assured of at least one Caribbean title in the girl’s under-17 category where the top four Guyanese confirmed Guyana’s depth by securing all four spots in the semifinals.
Twin sisters Keisha and Kayla Jeffrey will continue their sibling rivalry, while Ashley Khalil and Mary Fung-A-Fat will battle in the other semifinal. Two-time Caribbean champion Victoria Arjoon will have to fight hard to advance to her fourth Caribbean final in a row when she comes up against a vastly improved Emma Keane of Bermuda in the girl’s under 15 semi-final.
In the under-13 category Akeila Wiltshire stands a good chance against the Jamaican
number one seed Mary Jo Mahfood in their semifinal.
On the boy’s side Nyron Joseph has booked an appointment with defending champion Nku Patrick of Trinidad while Raphael deGroot will face last year’s under-17 champion Cameron Stafford of Cayman in the under 19 semifinal.
The under-15 and 17 categories are still at the quarterfinal stage and Jean-Claude Jeffrey is the only remaining Guyanese in the main draw.
He will have to oppose 3/4 seed Stefan Joseph of the OECS. Last year’s runner-up Alexander Arjoon and big time performer Deje Dias are both in the under 17 quarter final and will oppose each other in the semifinal round if they both get past their respective opponents.
The semifinals are scheduled for this evening.
Results from Saturday first and second round matches:
Quarterfinals
GU13 – Akeila Wiltshire (GUY) defeated Brittney Wall (BER) 11/4 11/8 11/4
GU13 – Gabrielle Fraser (GUY) lost to Gylla Mackenzie 5/11 5/11 7/11
GU15 – Victoria Arjoon (GUY) defeated Asha Gibbs (BAR) 11/4 11/9 11/2
GU17 – Kayla Jeffrey (GUY) defeated Alysa Xavier (GUY) 11/3 11/6 11/3
GU17 – Mary Fung-A-Fat (GUY) defeated Kristina Myren (CAY) 11/5 11/2 11/6
GU17 – Keisha Jeffrey (GUY) defeated Lauren Mahfood (JAM) 11/2 11/9 11/6
GU17 – Ashley Khalil (GUY) defeated Emily Bones (T&T) 11/5 11/6 8/11 11/8
GU19 – Daina King (GUY) defeated Brooke Burrowes (JAM) 5/11 13/15 11/9 11/3 12/10
BU13 – Nyron Joseph (GUY) defeated Iain McCallum (CAY) 11/8 11/4 14/12
BU19 – Raphael deGroot (GUY) defeated Justin Sanguinette (T&T) 12/10 11/5 11/7
Round of 16
BU15 – Shem Marcus (GUY) lost to Beau Orchard (BER) 3/11 5/11 5/11
BU15 – Jean-Claude Jeffrey (GUY) defeated Kyler Knights (BER) 11/2 12/10 11/6
BU15 – Steven Xavier (GUY) lost to David Mullings (JAM) 11/13 9/11 11/4 6/11
BU17 – Jason Ray Khalil (GUY) lost to Kevin Hannaway (OECS) 5/11 7/11 4/11
BU17 – Deje Dias (GUY) defeated Alex Tavares-Finson (JAM) 11/3 11/2 11/0
BU17 – Alexander Arjoon (GUY) defeated Alex Frazer (CAY) 11/7 11/7 11/6
