Under-14 number two seed Kalysia Fraser trumped senior player Kizzy Richmond 6/3, 6/2 on the fifth day of competition yesterday in the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Open Tennis Tournament held at its Recreational Facility in Bel Air.
Playing in the second round of the Ladies’ Singles Division, Fraser outdid Richmond inside two sets, closing the match 6/3, 6/2. It was a timely win for the teenager who has been spot-on since the commencement of the tournament.
Prior to the Fraser/Richmond clash, Philbert Clark won his first round match against Mindat Lalbeharry 6/4,6/4 to move on to the second round. On Tuesday Nicola Ramdyhan and Artea Dey who competes in the under-18 category, triumphed over their U-14 counterparts Fraser and Shivani Persaud in their girls open match. Ramdyhan and Dey claimed victory in two sets and the match ended with scores of 7/5, 6/4. After trailing Fraser and Persaud by three points (3/0) at the start of the first set, the eventual winners managed to level the score at three all. The younger pair held their composure to move ahead by two points, but Ramdyhan and Dey fought back to stay close to their opponents. The score was levelled (5/5) for a second time in the first set when play was interrupted after the fuse for a light blew, giving the players a much needed break after a fierce battle. When play resumed at 7pm, Ramdyhan and Fraser took control and ensured that they scored two more points to secure the first set. Unlike the first set, the second set was a much easier ride for the older pair and they eventually won 6/4.
In the second match of the night Vladimir Permyakzo was victorious against Steven David-Long in a match which ended 6/4, 6/1, 6/4.
Other results of the night came from three wins from men’s and ladies’ doubles matches. In the men’s open Bishan Dalip and Kester Abrams combined to whip Orande Deinty and Shawn Rodney 7/5, 6/2 while Harry Panday and Joseph DeJonge got past Charles Adams and Romario Chanderballi 6/1, 6/3. The collaboration of Carol Humphrey and Afruica Gentle proved too much for Kizzy Richmond and Denise Barrington who lost by a 6/0 6/2 margin. On Monday, the third day of competition, Shivani Persaud and Kalysia Fraser posted easy wins to advance in the tournament. Persaud and Sarah Klautky, slugged it out on court two, but it was Persaud who prevailed 6/0, 7/5 at the end of the game. Meanwhile, emerging junior player, Fraser defeated her senior opponent Tracy Shamsudeen 6/1, 6/1. Fraser had her opponent busy as she returned the ball in some difficult areas which had Shamsudeen on her toes to keep the ball in play.
Playing in their debut match, under-10s Vedanand Resaul and Joshua Kalekeyzi won a mere two points against the two seniors, Daniel Lopes and Nicolas Glasgow as the game closed 6/0, 6/2.
It was a treat to watch Harry Panday and Chetham Narayan fence it out with their racquets in the over 35s Singles Category. Panday is known for his consistency in returning any ball that is hit at him but he was forced out of his comfort zone by the imposing Narayan, who hits the ball with flat acute angles. Panday’s resilience kept him in the match but Indian National, Narayan, attacked his backhand with deep inside-out forehand shots to open the court. Narayan then executed finishing shots of smashes and tenderly touched volleys to win the match 6/3, 6/2.
High drama on main court
All eyes were drawn to the main court to view a three-hour marathon between Viraj Jugdeo and Kester Abrams. Jugdeo took the driver’s seat from the first game and secured a straightforward first set at 6/3. At this point, Abrams’s place in the match seemed rather precarious as he contended with Jugdeo’s precise shots. However the tide seemed to have turned from the serve of the second set as play between the two became boisterous with every swing.
Abrams was broken at 4/4 Abrams while Jugdeo was on serve for the match. He managed to set a tiebreaker which he won 7/3 to give him the set 7/6. He rode the confidence booster into the third set to a 5/1 lead with his unconventional double fisted back and forehand shots which became more deadly in the final set. All hopes of a win seemed to have fled from Jugdeo after Abrams set up two match points which were erased by Jugdeo’s conviction in his winning shots. The final game had five deuces until Abrams capitalized on the fourth match point. He won the match 3/6, 7/6(7/3), 6-1 which sets him up to face number one seed, Anthony Downes.
In the final match of the night Stephen Bailey and Oswin Coggins collaborated in the Men’s Doubles Open to defeat Dominic Fraser and Nomechandra Persaud, 6/1, 6/4.
