Defending champs retain individual titles

Aug 15, 2013 Sports

---

Even though it was done in contrasting styles, both defending champions Jamaica’s Chris Binnie and Guyana’s Nicolette Fernandes successfully retained their individual titles as the Singles competition in the 2013 Digicel Senior Caribbean Championships powered by Powerade and Smalta ended on Tuesday evening, at the Georgetown Club.

In the Men’s final, Caribbean No.1 player Binnie was taken to five sets by a determined Sunil Seth of Guyana, before prevailing 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 8-11 and 11-8 in an entertaining encounter, while another Caribbean No.1 player, Fernandes, produced a high quality performance to dispatch old rival Barbados’ Karen Meakins in straight sets 11-6, 11-2 and 11-5.
Binnie, who is ranked at 119th in the world and who recently registered an impressive win over world number 66th ranked Harinder Pal Sandhu of India 12-10, 11-8 and 12-8 at the World Games in Cali, Colombia had to dig deep to fend off Australia-based Seth.
In the opening stanza, Seth urged on by a partisan band of supporters played some exquisite shots to keep the usually efficient Binnie scrambling to retrieve.
He mixed some powerful forehands with deft volleys and well disguised drop shots on the frontcourt that seemed to frustrate the regional No.1, before wrapping up the set.
Binnie needing to level the proceedings and not let the confident Seth get away, raced to a handy lead in the second set through some wonderfully placed forehand shots that Seth found difficult to return and he tied the contest at 1-1.
Once again Binnie, who seemed to have found his range and confidence marched to a 6-2 advantage in the third set and never allowed Seth to recover to take a 2-1 lead.
Seth once again urged on by the Guyanese supporters responded immediately as he produced a string of delicately placed shots interspersed with some booming forehands took the fourth to set up the decider.
Both players entered the arena to the applause of the large crowd and proceeded to treat the fans to a fine exhibition of Squash as they traded powerful forehands that had each combatant scattering to the backcourt to return and that was followed by some cheeky chips and slices that landed deep on the frontcourt.
In the end, Binnie’s superior array of strokes and court coverage proved pivotal and he was able to successfully defend his title.
The Ladies affair was totally different as Fernandes never allowed longtime rival Meakins the opportunity to put up a fight.
The two battled closely in the first half of the opening set, before Fernandes pulled away for a decisive one set lead.
The world No. 28 was in no mood to entertain a close match and she delivered some telling forehand shots that Meakins had no answer for and pulled away once more for an easy win and to go 2-0 up in the best of five rubber.
The third set brought no reprieve for the Barbadian as Fernandes’ merciless forhands and clinical drop volleys proved too much for Meakins to handle as she meekly surrendered to the superior Fernandes to give her a third consecutive crown at the regional event.
Speaking after the win, Fernandes, who will leave shortly to compete in the Malaysian Open, said that even though she mamaged to pull off a relatively easy victory, “it is never a walk in the park,” because it is all about winning 33 points.
The local and regional queen in the sport admitted that playing at home is something she enjoys, especially with all the support that she receives and it really motivates her.

Asked whether the win is a good build up for the team championship, Fernandes said it will help, adding that she firmly belives that Guyana have a very good chance of taking the title, judging from the form of the other Guyanese girls.
“The girls are in pretty good shape and form as the results would have shown,” the reigning champion noted.
Meakins speaking about the loss admitted that even before she entered the match she knew it would have been extremely difficult to beat Fernandes, especially judging from the way she was hitting the ball in the earlier rounds.
Quizzed on whether she anticipated such a resounding performance from Fernandes, she responded by saying that ‘it was totally expected’.
She, however, felt that in the team competition it was most likely be decided between Barbados and Guyana.
Binnie in his remarks said he was very happy to scrape a win, while confessing that it was a very tough match.
“I try to be 100% ready for every game, but this was the first time that I played him so I knew very little about him and he played a fantastic match,” Binnie told this newspaper.
Binnie asid he was looking forward to the team competition and was hoping that Jamaica could do well.
Seth, who was representing Guyana for the first time, said he fought hard and tried to play the best he can, but conceded that Binnie is an excellent player and difficult to beat.
The team competition was expected to commence last evening, at the same venue.

---

---