Karen Meakins warmed up for the defence of her women’s title in the final against top junior Gylla Mackenzie with a comfortable semi-final victory over Alex Jordan in the 12th Barbados Squash Open on Friday night at the Barbados Squash Club.
The top seeded Meakins, who is ranked No. 2 in the Caribbean, has reached the final of all 11 of the previous Barbados Opens she has played in since 2002 and has ten titles to her credit to date.
She moved smoothly into her 12th final with an efficient victory over the energetic Jordan, who tried hard but was overcome in straight games 11-7, 11-7, 11-3.
The second semi-final, which Mackenzie won 4-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 was more competitive with Nadia McCarthy, the former national and Caribbean junior champion, looking impressive for the first two games against the current Under-17 and Under-19 national champion Mackenzie. McCarthy powered to a 2-0 lead for the loss of only seven points.
Mackenzie was able to regroup, however, and by the start of the third game it was clear that the 16-year old schoolgirl had the decisive advantage in fitness over her older opponent.
She showed that advantage as she continually hit powerful drives to both back corners and ruthlessly dispatched any weak returns from her opponent with a combination of volleys and attacking boasts that often caught the tiring McCarthy wrong-footed.
After Mackenzie easily won the third game for the loss of three points the spectators waited for a fight back but it never came as Mackenzie stormed away in the final two games to win to set up a repeat of the national final against Meakins.
The final was due to take place yesterday.
In the men’s “A” semi-finals, Trinidadian Colin Ramasra defeated No. 2 seed Gavin Cumberbatch 11-2, 12-10, 11-2 in 27 minutes.
The partisan crowd cheered on the local national champion but he had few answers to the efficient squash that Ramasra, who was seeded at No. 5/8, had on display.
Powerful and tight low straight drives to a good length and accurate drops and volleys flowed from Ramasra’s racket as he efficiently dispatched the Barbadian in first game for the loss of two points.
Cumberbatch tried to regroup in the second game but after leading 9-6 and then 10-9 game ball his challenge floundered as Ramasra claimed the last three points to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
After his exertions in that game there was nothing left from Cumberbatch who was blown away in the third by Ramasra who reeled off nine straight points
The second men’s “A” semi-final was a complete contrast with the top two Guyanese players Richard Chin beating Alex Arjoon 6-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-3. (PR)