The 43rd annual BOA Barbados Senior National Squash Championships, which are sponsored once again this year by the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA), continued yesterday at the Barbados Squash Club (BSC) courts and it was déjà vu all over again as the same top four men’s seeds progressed to their respective semi-finals which will be held tonight (Friday). Last year’s finalists have been seeded as the top two seeds this year and both the #1 seed, Shawn Simpson, and the #2 seed, Rhett Cumberbatch had to fight off determined opponents in Zaki Williams and Don Benn respectively. The 8-time and defending men’s champion, Simpson reached his 15th successive national championship semi-final by outlasting Williams in four exciting games 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 13-11 while on the opposite side of the draw, Rhett Cumberbatch started fast and ended fast against Benn to also win in four games 11-0, 11-3, 9-11, 11-3. Their respective opponents in today’s semi-finals will be siblings, Gavin and Bryant Cumberbatch. Gavin will take on his rival and close friend Simpson after outlasting the evergreen former 8-time men’s champion and current 5-time Caribbean veterans champion, Mark Sealy, in four very close games 14-12, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6 while Rhett will face his younger brother Bryant Cumberbatch who defeated Stewart St. John in three hard fought games 11-5, 11-9, 11-9.
In the ladies draw the top two seeds are #1 Meagan Best and #2 Amanda Haywood who both predictably made it to their second successive national ladies final after comfortably progressing in straight games in their ladies semi-finals against the athletic pair of 14-year old twins Jada and Jodi Smith-Padmore. Best defeated Jada 11-1, 11-3, 11-1, while Amanda defeated Jodi 11-3, 11-3, 11-3.
In other action, in the Masters division in the men’s over-50 final, the wily veteran #1 Leon Truss defeated #2 Craig Archer, in five games 3-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5 while in the M+50 plate final Edward Ince defeated Marcel Murrell 3-0.
The men’s semi-finals and the men’s plate competitions continue this evening (Friday) at the BSC, starting at 5:30 p.m. The finals and playoffs for other positions will be contested on Saturday afternoon, February 11th with matches beginning at 1:00 p.m. and continuing up to the last two contests, the ladies final at 3:30 p.m. and the men’s final, which is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start. Admission to the public at the BSC is free.
Results of the matches played at the BSC thus far in the Ladies and Men’s Individual competitions are as follows:
Ladies’ Semi-finals
#1 Meagan Best (d) Jada Smith-Padmore (3-0) 11-1, 11-3, 11-1
#2 Amanda Haywood (d) Jodi Smith-Padmore (3-0) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3
Men’s Quarter-finals
#1 Shawn Simpson (d) #5/8 Zaki Williams (3-1) 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 13-11
#3/4 Gavin Cumberbatch (d) #5/8 Mark Sealy (3-1) 14-12, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6
#3/4 Bryant Cumberbatch (d) #5/8 Stewart St. John (3-0) 11-5, 11-9, 11-9
#2 Rhett Cumberbatch (d) #5/8 Don Benn (3-1) 11-0, 11-3, 9-11, 11-3
Men’s Consolation Plate Quarter-finals
Zachary Harris (d) Marcel Murrell (3-0) 11-5, 11-2, 11-1
Leon Truss (d) David Leacock (3-0) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9
Luke Humphrey (d) Darien Benn (3-0) 11-9, 11-5, 11-6
Chemar Burnham (d) Craig Archer (3-1) 11-2, 3-11, 11-2, 11-5
Men’s Masters
M+50 Final #1 Leon Truss (d) #2 Craig Archer (3-2) 3-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5
M+50 Plate Final Edward Ince (d) Marcel Murrell (3-0) 11-9, 11-6, 11-3
M+40 R-robin Deepu Panjwani (d) Preston Parris (3-0) 11-7, 15-13, 11-4
