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Digicel 2017 Senior Nat Squash C/Ships… Arjoon beat Nicolette Fernandes in Men’s Q/Finals
By Sean Devers
Watched by a fair size crowd, the final scores in the 
Men’s Open Quarter-Finals of the Digicel 2017 Senior National Squash Championships at the Georgetown Club on Thursday night by National Men’s Champion Alex Arjoon and Guyana’s best female player Nicolette Fernandes, was not a true indication of the high quality Squash that was played by the pair.
Scheduled to play in both the Men’s and Women’s Open categories, Fernandes, one of two Guyanese females in this tournament playing on the professional Circuit overseas, lost to the clinical Arjoon in straight games 5-11, 9-11, 1-10, but the standard of Squash displayed by both players was high and entertaining and although the scores were not closer it was not a one-sided contest.
The left-handed Arjoon stamped his authority in the opening game and had Fernandes scampering around the court with several well positioned shots. However, Fernandes kept the ball in play with some long rallies but could not sustain the pressure and lost the first game 5-11.
The second game, Arjoon took a 5-0 lead with some well executed shots, but Fernandes, who rarely shows emotion on the court, fought back gamely and even went ahead in a very competitive game. But the extremely fit looking Arjoon would take back crucial points and would prevail, 11-9.
The third game was the worst for Fernandes, who began to make easy mistakes and after gifting a point to Arjune, a clearly frustrated Fernandes, who had beaten Nicholas Narain in straight games in her first match in the Men’s division, scolded herself loudly.
Arjoon, who defeated Jonathon Antczak 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 on Wednesday night, scored six unanswered points before Fernandes registered her first point and in the end that would be her only point as she lost the game and the match.
Kristian Jeffrey, who looked a lot younger than 28, used his 15-year age difference and experience to telling effect against Caribbean’s U-15 Champion, 13-year-old Shomari Wilshire.
Wilshire fought ‘tooth and nail’ but the talented youngster was outplayed by the supremely confident Jeffery, who dominated the match to win 11-6, 11-7, 11-7.
With the exception of one of the top men’s seeds all other seeded players have reached the semi finals of the two main draws. Former national champion Nyron Joseph was the player who created a mini upset as Jason Ray Khalil was the higher seeded of the two players in their quarter final match.
This match produced long rallies and breathtaking retrieves as both players displayed their amazing talents. Khalil won the first game 11 – 9 and then won the second game 11 – 7.
With Khalil leading 10 – 7 match ball in the third it seemed all over for Joseph but he clawed his way back to 10 all and finally won the third game 13 – 11. Joseph then won the fourth game 11 – 7 and secured a hard fought victory with his 11 – 6 win in the fifth game.
Number 2 seed Richard Chin showed that he will be no easy pushover in the semi finals with his 11 – 6, 11 – 4, 11 – 2 win against Jean Claude Jeffrey.
In the Women’s Open, all four of the top seeds progressed easily into the semi finals. Top seeded Nicolette Fernandes defeated Makeda Harding 11 – 1, 11 – 5, 11 – 1 while defending champion Ashley Khalil beat Sarah Lewis 11 – 3, 11 – 3, 11 – 2.
Former national champion Mary Fung-a-Fat, the other female in the tournament with experience of playing on the professional Circuit, was too good for Rebecca Low, winning 11 – 4, 11 – 0, 11 – 4, while Taylor Fernandes defeated Victoria Arjoon 11 – 6, 13 – 11, 11 – 5.
In the Men’s Plate Nicholas Narain had to come from two sets down to defeat Regan Pollard 9 – 11, 8 – 11, 11 – 3, 11 – 3, 11 – 4, while Ben Mekdeci dropped a game before defeating Peter Michael De Groot 11 – 5, 9 – 11, 11 – 2, 11 – 4.
In the Men’s Veterans 35 – 49, Allan Downes defeated Robin Low 11 – 4, 12 – 10, 11 – 4 and Khalil Alli beat Medhi Ramdhani 11 – 5, 11 – 2, 11 – 8.
In the Men’s Veterans Over-50, Joe Mekdeci beat David Fernandes 8 – 11, 11 – 2, 11 – 7, 11 – 3.
Play was scheduled to continue last evening with semi final matches in the Men’s and Women’s Open, Men’s Plate second round matches and continued round robin play in the Men’s Veterans categories. The final matches in all of the categories will start today at 16.30hrs.
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