MEAKINS IS FINE WITH NINE; CUMBERBATCH UPSETS Men’s CHAMPION
The 35th annual Barbados National Squash Championships, sponsored by the Barbados Olympic Association Inc., (BOA) concluded on Saturday evening, May 30th with one sided victories in both the Men’s and the Ladies finals. In the latter the top two seeded players met for the third straight year and although this match was a little more competitive than the previous two finals the outcome was still the same. Local squash queen, Karen Meakins, the top female player this decade duly won her ninth successive Ladies National Squash title in straight games with a convincing display of controlled aggression against the #2 seed and former Caribbean GU-19 Junior Champion, Cheri-Ann Parris. The tall and powerfully built Parris, who is only 18 years old, will surely claim her first national ladies title in the near future, and attacked from the start of the first game with tremendous pace and tried to impose herself on the experienced Meakins. For a time the tactic worked and it seemed to the enthralled spectators in court #1 at the Barbados Squash Club that Meakins would have a difficult afternoon ahead of her. Parris seemed to be dominating the exchanges as Meakins struggled to establish good length on her shots. The local teenager led in the first game 6-5, then 7-6, then 8-7 and 9-8 and came within two points of becoming the first local player to take a game from Meakins in these Championships in nine years. But it was not to be. Meakins won the last three rallies to take the first game 11-9 and thereafter it was one-way traffic. Meakins began to serve a little softer and higher and her young opponent was forced onto the defensive right from the start of each rally. Meakins’ length and width of shot improved and after dropping the first two points in the second game reeled off seven straight points to regain the momentum and her control of the match. Parris never led again in the match that Meakins closed out 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 in 20 minutes.
The Men’s final was also eagerly anticipated as the top two local players, #1 Shawn Simpson and #2 Gavin Cumberbatch met for the fourth straight year in the final. In the previous three finals, Simpson, the tall athletic left-hander who is the reigning 2008 Southern Caribbean Men’s Champion was able to take the sting out of the up-tempo style of game that Cumberbatch enjoys playing. In the past, Simpson, was able to keep his fellow 25 year old national team member on court for more than 40 minutes and was able to run his charismatic opponent into the ground. Not so this year. Cumberbatch attacked from the off with flurry of winners hit at extreme pace on both wings. Even on the drop shot and on volleys, where Cumberbatch is not particularly strong he was in complete command. Simpson won the first point of the match and never took the lead again as the deadlocked Cumberbatch cruised to a convincing 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 victory in 21 minutes.
The third place playoffs #3 Lilianna White defeated #4 Carla Jackson in straight games 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 while on the Men’s side #3 Mark Sealy, a former eight-time national champion, had to work much harder to defeat the ageless Nigel Griffith 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 also in straight games in half an hour.
In the trophy presentation that followed the Men’s final the B.O.A.’s Assistant Secretary General, Mr. Cammie Burke, noted that the B.O.A. was pleased to be able to assist with funding for this domestic competition and then praised the Barbados Squash Rackets Association for being one of the more effectively run National Sports Federations in Barbados. He also wished the National teams well in the upcoming 27th annual Caribbean Junior Squash Championships being hosted by Barbados from July 11-18th as well as the Caribbean Senior Squash Championships in Trinidad in August. He noted that squash had won three bronze medals for Barbados at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Cartagena, Colombia and stated that the B.O.A. would expect more medals from squash in the XXI CAC Games scheduled for July 2010 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
Full results from yesterday at the Barbados Squash Club, Marine Gardens, Hastings, Christ Church:
Ladies Final #1 Karen Meakins def. #2 Cheri-Ann Parris 11-9, 11-4, 11-7
Ladies 3rd place #3 Lilianna White def. #4 Carla Jackson 11-8, 11-5, 11-8
Ladies 5th place Ayoni Bradshaw def. Cylla Seale 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8
Ladies 7th place Zoe Lisk def. Gylla Mackenzie 7-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-5
Men’s Final #2 Gavin Cumberbatch def. #1 Shawn Simpson 11-5, 11-5, 11-3
Men’s 3rd place #3 Mark Sealy def. #5/8 Nigel Griffith 11-4, 11-7, 11-4
Men’s 5th place #5/8 Marlon White def. Mark Gilkes 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5
Men’s 7th place #5/8 Rhett Cumberbatch def. #4 Bryant Cumberbatch by default
Men’s 9th place Mickey Armstrong def. #5/8 Fabian Goodridge by default
Men’s Plate Final Andrew Nunes def. David Foster 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 14-12.
The fully updated championship draw may be downloaded by following the link below.
National Championships 2009 Updated Draws (L / M / All Plates) – file no. 1
