Victor “Earth” Ward and Davian “Force Ripe” Taylor were the featured stars when the Silver Hill Road Tennis Championships displayed more of the big guns on Saturday night.
Ward, who shot to prominence in the first edition when he stunned Junior “Michael Jackson” White before losing in the final to the eventual winner Mark “Venom” Griffith, recovered some of his hometown status with a working 21-18, 21-13 win over Corey Mayers.
Taylor was even more impressive as he cancelled Andrew “Drax Hall” Goodridge 21-11, 21-12. Playing his normal attacking game, the cocky Taylor showed some generosity in not pushing to inflict possible sows on his opponent.
Homeboy Adrian “Howlie” Walker was even kinder to the veteran Gregory Herbert as Walker gifted points in the second game after crushing Herbert 21-4 in the first game. The second game ended 21-10 with bearded Herbert looking like the Kung-fu star Silver Fox showing that he once had a repertoire of shots.
The only shots that Junior Wharton could present to the spectators was a backhand defence as Lloyd “Dick Man” Burke unbelievably played every ball to Wharton’s backhand to frustrate and defeat him 21-7, 21-13.
The only “A” class open match that went the distance was the battle between Anthony “Prince” Haynes and Roy Reveillac, where Haynes reigned 21-15, 17-21, 21-11. Reveillac made a lie of his size to play some impressive rallies and counter-winners.
Fourteen-year-old Lodge School student Mosia Williams was the only straight-sets winner in three of the in-house matches that were played. Williams defeated former Barbados footballer Wayne “Bull” Lewis who is four times his age 21-12, 25-25.
Barbados hockey player Neil Franklyn pipped former CARIFTA athlete Shawn Browne on the line 21-18, 16-21, 21-10, while journalist Randy Bennett blunted Romell “Cut Lee” Forde 10-21, 21-18, 21-16. (KB)
