Arjoon, Khalil in winner’s row 

-Fernandes ousted in the first round 

Ashley Khalil (right) strokes one into the wall during her season-opening win (Royston Alkins photo) 
Ashley Khalil (right) strokes one into the wall during her season-opening win (Royston Alkins photo) 

The third day of the 2019 Guyana Squash Association (GSA) Annual Bounty Farm Handicap Tournament saw a number of Guyana’s premier squash players swinging into action at the Georgetown Club Squash Court last evening.

Leading the way was Guyana’s number one male seeded player Alex Arjoon who in his first match of the season completed a herculean effort, playing with a -22 handicap to defeat Ian Mekdeci (5) 15-12, 15-11 in the open category. 

The night, however, was not as successful  for one of Guyana’s top female players Taylor Fernandes who was defeated by former junior Caribbean champion Damien Da Silva who won the match 15-6, 15-13. 

Ashley Khalil (-6), on the other hand, who was Fernandes’ 2018 CAC bronze medallist partner, claimed her second triumph of the tournament by disposing of Tony Farnum (10) 15-10, 7-15, 15-12.  

Khalil on Wednesday evening completed a solid straight-sets win over Lydia Fraser to get her campaign rolling. She looked in great shape, as she moved around the court smoothly to take the match 15-11, 15-11 to swat her season off ideally. She only dropped two points in the process.  

(From left) Category A second-round winners Abosaide Cadogan, Demetrius De Abreu and Nicholas Verwey after their individual wins on Wednesday evening (Royston Alkins photo)

The other winners on Wednesday evening saw Adam Alves who is another strong contender in the early rounds of the open category, serving his way past Dane Pereira (5) 15-7, 15-14 while Ian Mekdeci had his way with Medhi Ramdhani (3) 15-7, 15-7. Regan Rodrigues (4) capped off the evening by downing Jonathan Antczak 15-5, 15-6. 

Meanwhile, the category A results saw defending champion Michael Alphonso (-10) beginning his title defence by completing a clinical win over Lucas Persaud (11), 15-11, 15-12. 

Other major results in that category saw Kirsten Gomes (-4) collecting her second win in as many days by defeating Beau Fernandes (11) 15-12, 15-11 as did Abosaide Cadogan who was in her usual workmanlike mode in her 15-12, 15-10 win over Ethan Jonas.  

Nicholas Verwey (-8) also clinched his second win on the second evening by defeating Brenno Da Silva (13) 15-14, 15-14. 

Mohryan Baksh (-3), another first-day winner, defeated Zachary Persaud (7) 15-10, 11-15, 15-12 to keep his campaign rolling in the right direction.  

Layuan Munroe was also in the winners’ row by defeating Dhiren Persaud 15-7, 15-11 while Demetrius De Abrue, another strong contender, defeated Gianni Carpenter (-2) 15-10, 4-15, 15-7