Nicolette Fernandes aims to replicate history - ‘Big names’ advance

Nicolette Fernandes aims to replicate history – ‘Big names’ advance

Mar 19, 2022 Sports

Guinness National Senior Squash Championships…

By Sean Devers

Kaieteur News – Nicolette Fenanades will face defending Champion Ashley Khalil in today’s women’s final and hopes to turn back the clock to 12 years ago when she became the only female to win both the Men’s and Women’s title in the National Senior Squash Championships.

Shomari Wiltshire destroyed Mohryan Baksh, 3-nil. (Sean Devers photo)

Nicholas Verwey defeated Regan Pollard, 3-0. (Sean Devers photo)

Fernandes moved a step closer to replicating her history-making achievement of 2010, when, playing in Men’s category, she defeated Peter De Groot in Thursday night’s action in the Guinness National Senior Squash Championships at the Georgetown Club Courts.

However, on a night which saw high quality matches being played in the first National Senior Competition since the Khalil Siblings became the first brother and sister combination to win both titles, all the ‘big’ names advanced.

In the most exciting match of the night, Samuel Ince Carvalhal beat Micheal Alphonso 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4 as lads executed crafty shots, used angles well and demonstrated excellent retrieval skills.

The left-handed Samuel, the grandson of National Squash coach Carl Ince, looked a vastly improved player from two years ago while Alphonso showcase his good all-round ability with the racquet as two pushed each hard before Ince won the opening game.

The second game proved to be a battle of attrition and included lengthy rallies and crisp drives as Samuel again won…. this time 11-5. But Alphonso rebounded with some good drop shots and great Court craft as the pair traded shots with Alphonso claiming the next game 9-11.

In the fourth game, Samuel turned on the heat and had Alphonso tumbling to try and retrieve well executed shots from the back of the Court. As the talented Alphonso slipped further and further behind, his body language suggested he had given up as Samuel romped to 11-4 to win the game and the match 3-1.

Nicollette Fernandes competed in the Men’s division and defeated Peter DeGroot on Thursday evening (Sean Devers photos)

Fernandes, who turns 39 in June, again showed excellent fitness and won the first game 11-6 before De Groot came out with the intent to fight. With a good combination of squash from De Groot and some loose work from Fernandes, De Groot galloped to a 9-1 lead. Although Fernandes responded with three unanswered points, it was too little, too late as DeGroot took the game 11-4.

Fernandes, the only female in the Male Division, got to 5-1 in the next set and in a clinical display, won 11-5, then won the next game 11-4 to take the match and raise hopes that despite her advancing age, she could still be force to be reckoned with in the Caribbean.

In the last Senior CASA in 2019, she showed Bajan teenager Megan Best who was best of the Best in the Caribbean by winning her sixth Caribbean title.

Dejé Dias (background) was beaten by Daniel Ince, 3-1.

In the others games played on Thursday night, Alex Arjoon got the better of Jonathon Antczak 11-0, 11-0, 11-2, while Shomari Wilshire, with experience of playing in the US Open, defeated Mohryan Baksh 11-3, 11-1, 11-1, Nicholas Verwey beat Regan Pollard 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 and Steven Xavier trounced Men’s defending Champion Jason-Ray Khalil 11-9, 7-11, 11-5 and 11-9.

English born Daniel Ince, making his debut in Guyana’s Senior Tournament, after winning the Masters in February, beat the pumped up Dejé Dias 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 as Dias showed plenty of passion and heart but used too much energy in executing shots.

Dias’ fight-to-the-end’ attitude and peculiar way of almost creeping in as he prepares to play his shots made him a favourite with largest turn of the tournament so far.

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