Coach teaches student lesson in latest GBTI Open Tennis action

Jun 14, 2016 Sports

Expectations of an intense and entertaining match were unanimous among spectators as Coach Shelly Daly

Godfrey Lowden

and student Aretta Dey squared off for the first time in the Ladies Open Singles. Dey landed an early surprise by breaking her rival’s first service game. Daly then broke back to level 1-1. Dey showed no nerves breaking back and holding serve for a two game lead at 3-1 with 100% success rate on second serves. Daly, suffering from an ailing right shoulder and the cons of breaking in a new racquet, was determined to teach her student a lesson.

Serving at 1-3, she impressed with her signature top spin ground strokes, resulting in Dey making a plethora of unforced errors and giving herself a whopping five game streak to close off the first set at 6-3.
With nothing to lose, Dey’s desire to win manifested at the commencement of the second set. Seeking to challenge Daly’s first set rampage, she broke Daly’s first service game again. But Daly broke back to level again at 1-1. Dey broke again to go up 2-1. Her occasional passing shots reminded Daly that she was going to be a fierce competitor. But the experienced Daly, clearly unmoved by this, maintained a safe-tennis strategy by mixing up her strokes. Dey was no match for this change of play and gradually ensured the coach’s increasing dominance of a 5 game winning haul, claiming the set at 6-2.
Dey noted it was an excellent learning opportunity to play an see the experience of Daly up close, while Daly praised Dey for her technique and remarkable service and ground strokes consistency.
Daly moves to the semi-finals where she plays another of her successful students, Afruica Gentle.

Shelly Daly

In yet another competitive match, the reigning Men’s 35 champion, Godfrey Lowden, had the opportunity to defend his title against veteran counterpuncher Harry Panday in the Semi-Finals. Lowden started strong ensuring his first service game. Panday responded accordingly by holding serve as well. Lowden broke to go up 2-1 but Panday broke back to even the score at 2-2.
Serving at 2-2 and with clear aspirations of securing the first set, Lowden propelled himself throughout the set applying pressure to Panday with his powerful serves and flat fast paced ground strokes. This guaranteed him the first set at 6-2.
Panday wowed the crowd with the level of play he exemplified in the second set. Lowden appeared to have the set under control going up 3-1. But each game played was very tactical and went down to the wire as Panday seemed to shock Lowden with his unnerving consistency as he leveled the score at 3-3. Panday further broke and held serve to 5-3 where he lost 3 set points on his serve to give Lowden an opportunity to stay in the set. But Lowden’s quest to be in the finals once again helped him to brave the surplus of balls coming back from his opponent during four extended and keenly contested games to take the second set and match at 7-5.
In results from the matches played:
Boy’s Open Singles Quarterfinals: Mark McDonald def Joshua Kalekyezi 6-3, 6-0, Keenan Persaud def Khalid Gobin 6-4, 6-4, Jordan Beaton def Vijay Sharma 6-0, 6-0, Heimraj Resaul def Ravin Ramprasad 6-0, 6-0
Girls Open Singles Finals: Kalyca Fraser def Shivani Persaud 6-4, 6-2
Men’s Open Singles Round of 16: Daniels Lopes def Keenan Persaud 7-5, 6-0, Mark McDonald def Stephen Bailey 6-3,6-3
Men’s Open Singles Round of 32: Jordan Beaton def Khalid Gobin 6-1, 6-0
Ladies Open Singles Quarterfinals: Shelly Daly def Aretta Dey 6-3, 6-2,
Men’s 35 Singles Semifinals: Godfrey Lowden def Harry Panday 6-2, 7-5, Leyland Leacock def Albert Razick 6-2,6-1
Novice Medley Singles Quarterfinals: Brian Primo def Dimitri Gabriel w/o, Alvin Doris def Delon Fraser w/o
Novice Medley Doubles Round-robin: M. Campbell/P. Hope def B. Primo/A. Doris 6-2
Ladies Open Doubles: A. Gentle/C. Campbell def N. Ramdyhan/C. Subryan 6-0, 6-0