Marlon White, the top seed and defending champion, won yet another National Over-35 squash title last night (Friday) in the National Veteran?s Squash Championships, which is sponsored by the Barbados Olympic Association. In his final round robin match White faced some stern resistance from Jason Small, who managed to win a close second game before White turned up the pressure and won at a canter 9/5 7/9 9/0 9/1.
In other action on the Barbados Squash Club (BSC), Marine Gardens courts last night the top two seeds in the Men’s over-40 event safely reached today?s final, but in sharply contrasting fashion. The #2 seed Mark Sealy imperiously dismissed the #4 seed, Craig Archer, in 20 minutes for the loss of only five points, 9/2 9/1 9/2. On the other hand the top seed, Nigel Griffith, who is the defending Barbados , Southern Caribbean , and Caribbean over-40 champion was severely tested in a marathon semi-final by the #3 seed, John Cumberbatch, who bravely clawed his way back from 0-2 down in games, to two all, and then led Griffith 5-0 in the fifth and deciding game. As is his wont at times like these the indomitable Griffith then reached deep down to somehow find another gear and called on all his reserves of stamina and bravery to reel off nine straight points in a single hand to defeat his nonplussed opponent 9/7 9/6 3/9 5/9 9/5 in 55 minutes, the longest match of the tournament so far. In the first round of the over-40 plate competition, Ricky Edward defeated Peter Raymer 3-0, Roger Martin defeated Brian Robinson 3-2, and Dean Straker defeated Michael Best 3-0.
In the Men’s Over-45 competition, Andrew Nunes defeated Frank Jordan 9/2 9/0 9/2, and Jordan then also went on to lose to Richard Taylor 4/9 9/4 1/9 3/9 later on in the evening.
In the Men’s Over-50 plate competition Chester Haynes defeated Ronald Watson 9/5 6/9 9/7 9/7 and in the only Senior Ladies Open match played last night Cyla Seale defeated the plucky Audre Spence 9/3 9/2 4/9 9/0 in the night?s final match.
Competition in the veteran?s events concludes this afternoon at the BSC from 1:30 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. when all the remaining veteran?s finals will be played. Spectators and the press are welcome.
