SIX BARBADIAN PLAYERS have advanced to finals at the Caribbean Squash Association Junior Championships, currently ongoing at the Barbados Squash Club.
Yesterday was a great day for Barbados on the court, particularly in the Under-13 girls’ division. That final will be an all-Bajan affair with Sumairaa Suleman scheduled to come up against compatriot Chelsie Samuel.
Suleman advanced to the final after defeating the No. 1 seed Abigail Brewer of Bermuda. Brewer retired after the second game and at that point each player had won a game and the score was reading 5-11, 11-4. Samuel had a tough semi-final match against the OECS’ Giovanna Miller-Alexander but managed to prevail 11-5, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8.
Girls’ captain Amanda Haywood will appear in the final of the girls’ Under-17 match after she defeated Alexandria Yearwood of Trinidad and Tobago 11-3, 11-4, 11-4. She told Nation Online that she just tried to maintain focus and hit the right line.
Haywood will face Alyssa Mullings of Jamaica in the final today. The Bajan lass has never beaten the Jamaican but she believes this is her year to finally overcome that hurdle.
“She definitely is a tough nut to crack. I meet her every other year and I haven’t done it yet but I think this year I may actually do it,” said Haywood.
Top seed in the girls’ Under-15 division Meagan Best will face Guyana’s Makeda Harding in the final. Best advanced after thrashing the Cayman Island’s Jade Pitcairn 11-2, 11-2, 11-6, while Harding defeated Mia Mahfood of Jamaica 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 11-4 to book her spot in the final.
The tradition of squash excellence in the Cumberbatch family continued yesterday when young Khamal Cumberbatch advanced to the final of the Under-15 boys’ division. Cumberbatch defeated Guyana’s Daniel Islam 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 and will face the OECS’ Kai Bentick in today’s final.
The sixth Barbadian finalist is Josiah Griffith who will appear in the Under-17 boys’ final against Guyana’s Benjamin Mekdeci. Griffith advanced to the final after he defeated Jamaica’s Tahjia Lumley 11-5, 11-1, 6-11, 11-6.
Today’s matches will all be played at the Barbados Squash Club in Marine Gardens, starting at 9 a.m. The finals are slated to begin around 5 p.m. (PG)
