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2008 Cellink Southern Caribbean Squash Championships: Nicolette Fernandes crowned Southern Caribbean Squash Queen
Buoyed by a crowd of vociferous supporters, local squash queen Nicolette Fernandes rebounded from losing the first set 7-9 to defeat arch rival Bajan Karen Meakins, snatching the next three sets 9-7, 9-4, 9-3 in the process capturing the 2008 Women’s Open Cellink Southern Caribbean Squash Championships at the Georgetown Club, Camp Street Georgetown, last evening.
The two had last met one month ago in St Lucia where Meakins had won the preliminaries. Fernandes then rebounded from that early loss to capture the title, beating Meakins in the final.
Last night’s match saw the lanky Meakins going for Fernandes’ jugular from the onset. She wielded her racquet with dexterity and power to convincingly win the first set.
Determined to go down fighting, the Guyanese started game two with a vengeance. So adept was Fernandes with the racquet that at one stage she led the game 7-0.
A determined Meakins rebounded winning the next three points to keep the score at a respectable 7-3 in favour of Fernandes. The game then see-sawed, first Fernandes then Meakins took the initiative.
When it was Meakins’ turn to strike she conceded the handout and Fernandes did not let the opportunity slip by. As she struck the ball, Meakins desperately attempted to return the serve. The roar of the supporters was a sure indication that she had flunked the shot.
Fernandes was once rated at 27 in the world but a knee injury had forced her out of competition and subsequently the ratings.
Earlier in the ladies semi-finals, Fernandes swept Meakins’ teammate, Cherri–Ann Parris 9–1, 9–1 and 9–3 on the third court of the Georgetown Club Tuesday night to advance to the final, while Meakins beat Lilianna White 9–0, 9–3 and 9–0 to set up the battle.
Meanwhile, in the third place men’s playoff Brian Cumberbatch (Barbados) demonstrated grit to eclipse James Bentick (OECS) 9-6, 10-9, 8-9, 8-3.
In the ferocious battle for supremacy Bentick fiercely struck the ball with Cumberbatch matching his every stroke. After losing the first two sets he rebounded with a win 9-8 in the third set. He failed to duplicate such determination in the fourth set and subsequently went down 9-3.
The match between Guyanese Regan Pollard and D. Becerra (Venezuela) as well as M. Seally and F. Goodridge contest saw Becerra and Seally conceding walkovers to their opponents.
Up to press time, the men’s final was being contested between Barbados’ Shawn Simpson and Trinidad and Tobago’s Colin Ramasra.
Simpson defeated Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States’ James Bentick 9–7, 9–1, 9–3, while Ramasra got past Bryant Cumberbatch 9–4, 9–1 and 9–1 to stage the competition for the Men’s Open title.
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