Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
C’bean Queen! Khalil beat Fernandes inWomen’s final
Senior CASA C/Ships in Jamaica
– Guy captures 3 Gold & 2 Silver
By Sean Devers
Seven Nations participated in the 37th Edition of the Wata sponsored Senior CASA Championships in Jamaica and when the dust had settled on rainy day on Tuesday Evening at the Liguanea Club, Guyana’s number 1 seed 29-year-old Ashley Khalil beat Taylor Fernandes 9-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4.
Jamaican Chris Bennie won a record 10th C’bean Squash title on Tuesday Night on home soil.
Ashley Khalil is the new C’bean Squash Queen.
The 33-year-old Jamaican Chris Bennie’s streak on Caribbean soil continued as he qualified for his 11th final with a 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 win over Guyanese Alex Arjoon in the Men’s singles semi-final before creating history by defeating 20-year-old Bajan Khamal Cumberbatch to win an unprecedented 10th title on home soil.
In the first game in the women’s final, Taylor came out firing with aggressive squash and seemed to surprise Ashley who lost 9-11.
But Ashley, coached by her brother, Jason Ray, rebounded from the loss to win the next three games to win the match 3-1.
Ashley, who played good squash in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in England, upped the tempo in the second game and with good use of the Court and excellent drives, took the game 11-5.
Taylor Fernandes & Daniel Ince had to settle for Silver in the mixed doubles.
The taller Taylor, who had reached the Semi-finals in 2019, and the well composed Ashley engaged in skilful rallies but Ashely was dominant; winning 11-2.
The vocal Guyanese fans cheered every shot played by both players, since despite the result, a Guyanese lass would be crowned squash Queen of the Caribbean.
The Girls played competitive Squash as Taylor, the cousin of Nicolette Fernandes, who is competing in the Masters in Poland, looked the more tired of the two players.
Ashely used clinical drop shots at the end of her rallies to win points as Taylor, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her illustrious cousin, who won the only gold medal for Guyana at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games in Colombia, made many unforced errors as Ashley maintained the pressure on her Country Woman.
CASA President and Guyana’s long serving Coach Ramon Chan-a-Sue, who won his match in the veteran’s category, would have been delighted since the four ladies in the semi-finals were all Guyanese.
Ashley DeGroot (left) & Ashley Khalil won Gold in the Women’s Doubles.
Nyron Joseph (left) & Jason Ray Khalil won the Men’s doubles final.
Ashley had beaten Akela Wilshire 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 in an all Guyana semi-final. This was Ashely’s third semi-final and finally she reached her first Final, while 24-year-old Taylor beat Ashley DeGroot 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 for a place in her first final.
Guyana also won two of their three Doubles matches with Ashley DeGroot and Ashley Khalil beating Jade Pitcairn and Michaela Rensuburg of the Cayman Islands, 11-6, 11-8 to take the Gold in the Women’s doubles.
In the Men’s doubles, Nyron Joseph and Jason Ray Khalil beat the Barbadian pair of Khamal Cumberbatch and Shawn Simpson 11-10, 11-10 in thrilling encounter, while Guyana had settle for the Silver Medal when Daniel Ince and Taylor Fernandes lost to Cameron Staffard and Marlene West of the Cayman Islands 11-3, 11-7.
Brian Young lost 1-3 but since there were two walkovers for the Guyanese women, Guyana won the Vets category with Chan-a Sue’s impressive earlier performance.
The finals of the team competition will be contested on Saturday.
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