– Women’s team advance to team semis
Guyana’s Nicolette Fernandes, proving that hard work and dedication can bring success, claimed her second senior Caribbean Squash title by defeating Karen Meakins of Barbados at this year’s Caribbean Squash championships in the Cayman Islands.
And yesterday also turned out to be another good day for Guyana at the tournament since the women have advanced to the semi-finals of the team play.
Ironically this is the second time that the two players were facing each other in the finals of the tournament with the first being in 2005 when Fernandes won her first senior title.
The 26-year-old Guyanese national champion was stretched in the first set by the Barbadian 12-10, but found her usual form to easily sink her opponent 11-7 and 11-4.
For Meakins the loss was quite disappointing since this was her third showing in the finals since 2005 and they were disastrous on all occasions. She last played in 2007 against Karen Anderson of Jamaica.
But the win would be Fernandes first major title since returning from her career-threatening knee injury.
Ranked 103 by the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) among the world’s top female squash players, the Guyanese has had a tough 2009 season where she was either knocked out in the first round or the semis.
Prior to winning yesterday’s women’s singles title, Fernandes only played in one final and that was the 2009 Swiss Open championship where she was beaten by world number 20 Camille Serme of France.
Fernandes who also wore the crown of the Southern Caribbean Games Ladies Championships in 2000, 2004 and 2006 and was also the Junior Caribbean champion six times, joined the WISPA in 2003 and her highest ranking was 27 which she attained in May of 2007.
Meanwhile, the newly-crowned Caribbean squash queen continued her outstanding performance when she led team Guyana to the semi-finals of the team play of the tournament.
With the men already given marching orders from the tournament, the females took up the mantle and rebounded from their 3-2 loss to Barbados and whipped Bermuda by four games to one.The four-member team of Fernandes, Keisha and Kayla Jeffrey along with Victoria Arjune were all exceptional, winning their games in straight sets.
Unfortunately the Guyanese females were one short of a full team and were given a walkover in the fifth game.
The men’s team after being beaten 5-0 by Barbados on the opening day of the team play, returned and displayed a bit more purpose in their play yesterday and were beaten three games to one by Jamaica.
