-Victoria Arjoon also through to final
Whichever way the cookie crumbles Guyana will still be assured of a gold medal in the girl’s U-17 division when the curtain comes down on the singles competition of the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) which is currently in progress in Barbados.
However, what is not certain is who will be the winner.
In the semi-finals yesterday, arch-rivals Keisha Jeffrey and Ashley Khalil booked a place against each other in the final of the event with wins in the semi-finals.
Mary Fung-A-Fat pushed teammate Khalil to the hilt before Khalil took control in the fifth and decisive set and ended the encounter.
The match of the night was the other U-17 semifinal between twin sisters Keisha and Kayla Jeffrey.
The pair played high level entertaining squash and when the dust finally settled it was Keisha who was the one to make it through to the final.
The Guyanese players started on a great note when Alexander Arjoon and Jean-Claude Jeffrey pulled off good wins to ensure that this country would feature in the semifinals of all eight age categories.
Arjoon had to pull out all the stops to get past former Caribbean champion Noah Browne of Bermuda who took the first set and got out to a 9-3 lead in the second.
However, Arjoon took control of the match by burying Browne in the back court and the result was never in doubt after that.
Jeffrey then pulled off a remarkable upset over the 3/4 seed Stefan Joseph (OECS) in their under-15 quarterfinal. He played exceptional squash to come from behind and outclass his higher ranked opponent.
The girls’ U-13 triumvirate of Gabrielle Fraser, Larissa Wiltshire and Taylor Fernandes all got past their first round plate opponents but it was Wiltshire who had the Guyanese supporters on the edge of their seats with a fantastic come from behind five-game victory.
The Guyanese went into the afternoon semifinal session on a high.
Their outstanding showing in the morning session meant that they had a chance to make the finals of all of the categories.
But their hopes were quickly dashed by their higher ranked opponents.
First up was Akeila Wiltshire who was up against the U-13 number one seed Mary Jo Mahfood.
Although she tried valiantly she was no match for Mahfood’s strength and power as the big Jamaican powered her way into the final.
Then it was Nyron Joseph’s turn against the boy’s number one seed, Nku Patrick of Trinidad and the exceptionally talented Joseph didn’t disappoint as he pushed the defending champion to the limit. Joseph had game point in the second and went for kill sh
ot in the backhand front corner which just clipped the top of the tin. Had it been an inch higher Joseph would have won the game.
But, as it turned out, Patrick took a 2-0 lead and even though Joseph came roaring back to take the third 11/8 Patrick put the icing on the cake in the fourth.
Victoria Arjoon then rolled over Emma Keane of Bermuda in the girl’s U-15 category with ease to move into her fourth final in as many years.
Jean-Claude Jeffrey was then outclassed by the number one U-15 seed Mandela Patrick in straight games.
The upset of the night came in the boy’s U-17 semifinal where Micah Franklyn of Bermuda took advantage of Alexander Arjoon to bump the top seeded Guyanese out of the championships in straight games.
Daina King and Raphael deGroot were then out classed by Cheri-Ann Parris and Cameron Stafford in their respective U-19 semifinals.
The team championship is scheduled to start today.
Finals line up
GU13 Mary Jo Mahfood(JAM) vs. Gylla Mackenzie (BAR)
BU13 Nku Patrick (T&T) vs. Jake Mahfood (JAM)
GU15 Victoria Arjoon (GUY) vs. Jessica Perkins (JAM)
BU15 Mandela Patrick (T&T) vs. Julian Morrison (JAM)
GU17 Keisha Jeffrey (GUY) vs. Ashley Khalil (GUY)
BU17 Kevin Hannaway (OECS) vs. Micah Franklyn (BER)
GU19 Kerrie Sample (T&T) vs. Cheri-Ann Parris (BAR)
BU19 Joe Chapman (OECS) vs. Cameron Stafford (CAY)
Results from Saturday July 12, 2009;
Morning session
Quarterfinals
BU15 – Jean-Claude Jeffrey (GUY) defeated Stefan Joseph (OECS) 9/11 12/10 11/5 11/7
BU17 – Deje Dias (GUY) lost to Micah Franklin (BER) 8/11 8/11 9/11
BU17 – Alexander Arjoon (GUY) defeated Noah Browne (BER) 7/11 11/9 11/9 11/4
Plate Matches
GU13 – Larissa Wiltshire (GUY) defeated Demi Ollivierre (OECS) 8/11 11/7 7/11 12/10 15/13
GU13 – Gabrielle Fraser (GUY) defeated Susanna Armano (BER) 11/9 11/4 11/9
GU13 – Taylor Fernandes (GUY) defeated Gianna Alexander (OECS) 11/8 11/8 11/8
GU17 – Ashley deGroot (GUY) lost to Lauren Mahfood (JAM) 6/11 1/11 8/11
GU17 – Alysa Xavier (GUY) defeated Emily Farah (T&T) 11/5 11/2 11/1
BU15 – Shem Marcus (GUY) lost to Cody Stafford (CAY) 4/11 4/11 3/11
BU15 – Steven Xavier (GUY) defeated Cody Stafford (CAY) 11/13 11/7 7/11 11/7 11/4
BU17 – Jason Ray Khalil (GUY) defeated Adan Beek (JAM) 4/11 11/3 11/4 11/9
Afternoon session
Semifinals
GU13 – Akeila Wiltshire (GUY) lost to Mary Jo Mahfood (JAM) 8/11 4/11 4/11
GU15 – Victoria Arjoon (GUY) defeated Emma Keane (BER) 11/5 11/1 11/3
GU17 – Keisha Jeffrey (GUY) defeated Kayla Jeffrey (GUY) 7/11 12/10 11/8 11/7
GU17 – Ashley Khalil (GUY) defeated Mary Fung-A-Fat 11/8 8/11 11/2 7/11 11/8
GU19 – Daina King (GUY) lost to Cheri-Ann Parris (BAR) 0/11 4/11 2/11
BU13 – Nyron Joseph (GUY) lost to Nku Patrick (T&T) 8/11 12/14 11/8 6/11
BU15 – Jean-Claude Jeffrey (GUY) lost to Mandela Patrick (T&T) 6/11 9/11 3/11
BU17 – Alexander Arjoon (GUY) lost to Micah Franklyn (BER) 6/11 7/11 4/11
BU19 – Raphael deGroot (GUY) lost to Cameron Stafford (CAY) 6/11 6/11 4/11
