Guyana’s Trenace Lowe and Barbadian Kevin Farley were crowned champions when the annual Reliability Maintenance Services Limited (RSML) Super Singles Table-Tennis Tournament took place at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Saith Park, Chaguanas, Trinidad on Sunday.
Farley’s win was the second in a row by a member of his family after his brother captured the title last year while Lowe dethroned 16-year-old T&T starlet, Catherine Spicer.
Farley played unbeaten in the six-man, round-robin final to end with a record of 9-0 overall, and 5-0 in the final.
He registered wins over University of T&T’s Everton Sorzano (11-4, 11-7, 11-8), PowerGen’s USA-based Dayanan Maharaj (11-3, 17-15, 11-5), fellow Crusaders player Anthony “Sandfly” Brown (12-10, 11-8, 11-8), Guyana’s Colin France (11-5, 8-11, 5-11, 11-2, 11-8) and Michael Nanton of D’Abadie Youths by default for the TT$2000 winner’s prize Brown, made it a one-two Crusaders’ finish as he ended with a 4-1 record with victories against Sorzano (11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7); Maharaj (8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 13-11); France (11-7, 15-13, 8-11, 11-9) and Nanton (11-3, 11-3, 11-1) to collect the TT$1500 runner-up cheque.
France returned to his native Guyana with the third place prize of TT$1200 after he defeated Sorzano (11-4, 12-10, 11-5), Nanton (14-12, 11-8, 11-5) and Maharaj (12-10, 14-12, 11-6) for a 3-2 record.
Maharaj was fourth via victories over Sorzano (11-7, 11-5, 11-8) and Nanton by default.
Sorzano, who earlier in the knock-out stage had back-to-back upset wins over last year’s winner Kevin Farley 10-12, 11-1, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11 in the round-of-24 and seventh seeded Arun Roopnarine, in the last-12, avoided the wooden spoon after he powered past Nanton 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8.
In the women’s five-player round-robin final, Lowe made her trip to T&T a worthy one as he got the better of multiple national champion, Aleena Edwards (University of T&T), her mother Verna Edwards (Gladiators), second seeded Linda Partap-Boodhan (Arima Hawks) and Ambica Sitram (Carenage Blasters) to end with a perfect 4-0 record.
Lowe, the top ranked Guyanese women’s player and representing local club, Gladiators’ shrugged off the challenge of Edwards (A), 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 before she brushed aside the senior Edwards (V), 11-7, 11-5, 11-4; Partap-Boodhan 11-3, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8 and Sitram 11-8, 11-3, 11-3 for the TT$1500 top prize.
The younger Edwards, who dumped Spicer in the women’s round-of-10 16-14, 11-4, 2-11, 13-11 took home the TT$1000 second placed cheque after beating Sitram 11-6, 11-6, 11-8; Partap-Boodhan 11-8, 11-9, 13-11 and her mother, Verna 11-7, 11-7, 11-6.
Partap-Boodhan was third after she beat Sitram 11-4, 14-12, 14-12 and Edwards, 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6 while Edwards (V) was fourth, via an 11-4, 11-8, 11-8 win against Sitram.
The other foreign entrant among the women, Guyana’s Jody Ann Blake was stopped in the round-of-16 by Partap-Boodhan 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7 while teenager, Brittany Joseph had a win over Edwards (A) in the group stages.
