The defending champions both successfully retained their respective national squash titles as the curtain came down on the 31 st Barbados National Squash Championships, which were sponsored by the Barbados Olympic Association.
In the ladies final on Saturday afternoon the top seeded Karen Meakins duly won her fifth successive national crown by easily defeating Sonia Perkins 9/1 9/3 9/3, and in doing so emulated the feat of former 11-time champion, Natalie Webber, who won her last five titles in succession between 1992 and 1996. Meakins, who has completely dominated the local squash scene since emigrating from England to Barbados in 2000, was always in control and hit immaculate length, width, drop shots and volleys throughout her 21 minute match against the left handed #2 seed, Perkins, who has now been runner-up in a national final on five different occasions.
The Men’s final was a much closer affair but in the end it was the ability of the left handed top seed and defending Men’s champion, Shawn Simpson, to combine powerful kill shots and amazing defensive prowess that proved to be enough to take him home against the talented #2 seed Marlon White. White, who played well in patches, was eventually betrayed by impatience when his 21 year old opponent kept retrieving nearly all of his shots to keep each rally going. On many occasions White hit shots that against lesser opponents would have been winners, but Simpson used his great height and reach to good effect to recover seemingly lost causes time and time again. The first game set the pattern for the match when Simpson rushed to a quick 6-0, and then 8-1, lead before White settled down and played patiently to get to within two points of his rival before Simpson closed out the game at six. In the second game, White recovered from a 3-7 deficit to get to 6-7 before he hit three unforced errors and handed Simpson the game, once again at six. The loss of this game proved to be decisive because no one watching could imagine that White would be able to overcome a two game deficit and a seventeen year age difference to win in five games. Simpson also now appeared supremely confident now that he had the scent of victory in his nostrils and continued to run down every shot his opponent tried to play and never looked like losing the third game which he duly clinched to win 9/6 9/6 9/3 in 45 minutes. As he raised both arms aloft in triumph, Simpson became only the fifth man to successfully defend a national squash title in the past three decades.
The Men’s third place trophy was won by the #3 seed, Nigel Griffith, who outlasted the 18 year old #4 seed, Rhett Cumberbatch in four games 9/5 4/9 9/6 9/7. The ladies equivalent was won by the #4 seed, Cheri-Ann Parris, who won her match against the #3 seed, Lilianna White when White had to retire in the first game with a leg injury while trailing 1-6.
Results in the other matches played on Saturday were as follows:
Ladies Classic Plate Final ( 5th Place )
Bo Harris defeated Nadia McCarthy (3-1) 9/4 9/1 8/10 9/7
Ladies Seventh Place
Carla Jackson defeated Ayoni Bradshaw (3-0) 9/3 9/0 9/5
Ladies Plate Final ( 9th Place )
Sue Rogers defeated Edna Corbette (3-0) 9/4 9/4 9/4
Men’s Classic Plate Final ( 5th Place )
John Cumberbatch defeated Bryant Cumberbatch by default
Men’s Seventh Place
Craig Archer defeated Richard Moorjani by default due to injury
Men’s Consolation Plate Final ( 9th Place )
Ryan Truss defeated Leon Truss (3-1) 9/3 7/9 9/6 9/5
Men’s Plate Final ( 17th Place )
Don Benn defeated Andrew Nunes (3-1) 10/8 9/0 7/9 9/7
[N.B. The attached photo shows the various trophy winners in the national veteran?s competition and the national championships. Squatting in front are the ladies champion, Karen Meakins (left), and the Men’s champion, Shawn Simpson (right). As well as their trophies these two also received lunch vouchers with the compliments of the Ship Inn].
