The eight time former National Squash Champion, Mark Sealy, claimed his second successive Men’s over-40 National Squash title last night (Friday) as action continued on the third evening of the veteran?s competition of the 34th annual, Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) sponsored, Barbados National Squash Championships. The eagerly anticipated Men’s over-40 final was played on Friday night May 9th at the Barbados Squash Club, Marine Gardens, and, as expected, Sealy, a former Southern Caribbean Men’s finalist and the defending over-40 national champion prevailed over national team mate Marlon White in an absorbing contest. Sealy had by far the better of the exchanges in the first two games and won them at a canter at three and at love. When Sealy cruised to a 5-2 lead in the third game after only 20 minutes of play the crowd groaned, expecting an early finish and a quick trip to the bar for drinks. However, White had other ideas and began to play much better, while cutting out the loose shots and simple errors that had plagued his game up to that point. The rallies got longer and Sealy was finally forced off the ?T? position with tight straight drives hit to a good length and more accurate cross court drives and boasts. White moved from 2-5 down to eventually 7-5 up, then 8-7 game ball up. Sealy moved back into contention and held a match ball at 9-8 only for White to hammer a low percentage straight backhand volley kill off a Sealy serve to regain the serve. White then quickly claimed the next two points to snatch the 16 minute third game 10-9. Sealy now knew he was in an even contest and the close fourth game bore that out. There was plenty of attacking play from both players and when White moved from 3-5 down to 6-5 up in a single hand there was just a hint that an upset was in the offing. Sealy, like the true champion he is, put that thought out of everyone?s mind by regaining the serve and quickly reeled off the next four points in quick succession to win 9/3 9/0 9/10 9/6 in 43 minutes of pulsating squash.
Of the other matches played the two most exciting were the Men’s over-50 plate final between Ruairidh (Rory) Mackenzie and Ronald Watson which could have gone either way. Both players played some excellent squash and Mackenzie eventually prevailed in five games 5/9 10/8 10/8 8/10 10/8 in 50 minutes, the longest match of the night. Mackenzie?s unrelated namesake, Tony Mackenzie, also caused an upset when he defeated the #2 seed in the Men’s over-35 age group, Norman Rice in four games. Mackenzie, who had only returned to the island earlier that day from Trinidad, comfortably beat Rice, who has been struggling with a series of niggling injuries of late, in four games 9/6 9/3 5/9 9/1. Mackenzie then bravely returned to the court and fought hard before losing in straight games to the top seeded Mark Gilkes in a match rescheduled from earlier in the week.
The results of all the matches played on Friday, May 9, 2008 were as follows:
Friday, May 9th
M+35 Round Robin: Tony Mackenzie bt. [2] Norman Rice 9/6 9/3 5/9 9/1 (32 minutes)
M+35 Round Robin: [1] Mark Gilkes bt. Tony Mackenzie 9/1 9/4 9/8 (22 min.)
M+40 Plate final: Roger Martin bt. Michael Best 9/3 9/1 9/1 (22 min.)
M+40 3rd place: [2] Nigel Griffith bt. [3/4] Leon Truss 8/9 9/6 9/5 9/5 (39 min.)
M+40 Final: [1] Mark Sealy bt. [3/4] Marlon White 9/3 9/0 9/10 9/6 (43 min.)
M+45: Plate round robin: Brian Robinson bt. Peter Raymer 9/7 9/7 9/6 (31 min.)
M+50 Plate Final: Ruairidh ?Rory? Mackenzie bt. Ronald Watson 5/9 10/8 10/8 8/10 10/8 (50 min.)
