Men’s top seed and defending champion Gavin Cumberbatch [B’dos] crashed out this morning in the quarter-finals of the 20th biennial Southern Caribbean Squash Championships in five games to the experienced #5/8 seed James Bentick [St. Vinc.] 2-9, 3-9, 9-1, 9-0, 10-8. Cumberbatch, who is also the reigning 2007 Caribbean Champion squandered a two game lead and completely ran out of gas on the hot and humid Georgetown Club courts and surrendered his Southern Caribbean Men’s Champion title in the three games that followed.
The story of the championships thus far, however, is Gavin’s 19 year old younger brother, Bryant Cumberbatch, another of the #5/8 seeds, who played like a man possessed to keep the Barbados flag flying high. in this afternoon?s quarter-final action he disposed of the # 4 seed Josh Pinard [T&T] in three straight games 9-6 9-6 9-3. Bryant unleashed a series of attacking kills on both flanks that left both Pinard and the watching Guyanese spectators mesmerized. The highly fancied Pinard had no answer to Bryant?s uptempo game plan and the Trinidadian faded under a combination of shots and his own fatigue in the steamy conditions. Bryant will now face the #2 seed Colin Ramasra [T&T], who easily defeated Venezuela?s #5/8 seed Francisco Alberto Valecillo 9-2, 0-9, 9-4, 9-0.
Another Barbadian, Shawn Simpson, the #3 seed safely reached the semis as he disposed of Guyana?s top player, Kristian Jeffrey 9-3, 4-9, 9-5, 9-1. Simpson will face Bentick in the othe semi-final.
Karen Meakins [B’dos] led the Bajan charge into the semi-final round of the Ladies Individuals that will see her face the #4 seed Lilianna White [B’dos] .Meakins comfortable defeated #6 Carla Jackson [B’dos] 9-3,9-1, 9-1 while White had to fight hard to overcome a determined Keisha Jeffrey [Guy] in five games 9-2, 4-9, 4-9, 9-6, 9-2. In the semi-finals these two will be joined by Bajan teammate and #3 seed, Cheri-Ann Parris who defeated another Barbadian and the # 5 seed, Nadia McCarthy 9-6, 9-2, 9-0. Cheri-Ann will face the formidable top seed Nicolette Fernandes [Guy] who defeated fellow country woman Mary Fung-A-Fat 9-1, 9-2, 9-0.
In the Men’s Consolation Plate, Barbados Men’s captain, Mark Sealy easily defeated DeJe Dias [Guy] 3-0 to move on while Fabian Goodridge [B’dos] defeated Rhett Cumberbatch [B’dos] 3-0 to advance in the consolation plate event for first round losers.