Squash siblings Ashley and Jason Ray Khalil carted off both titles of the inaugural Ansa McAl-sponsored senior Easter Squash tournament which concluded yesterday afternoon at the Georgetown Club’s squash facility.
Jason Ray Khalil completed an emphatic straight-game win to sink former two-time junior Caribbean champion Regan Pollard 11/9, 11/1, 13/11 in the final of the men’s draw. Khalil, who is two months away from his 19th birthday, played a disciplined and determined match, showing that he was able to raise his intensity and focus when it mattered most. Khalil holstered his flashy style of play for this encounter and replaced it with carefully thought-out shots to work Pollard around the court.
The first game lasted close to 12 minutes and by midway the second game, former Commonwealth Games squash player Pollard was visibly winded.
Khalil was not as tight in the third and committed a few unforced errors. Pollard seized this opportunity for a last gasp push to take a game from Khalil but Khalil was relentless and managed to pull back the game even though Pollard got game ball at 10/7. Khalil worked his way back and managed to take to winner’s trophy in dominant 3-0 fashion with a determined 13/11 victory in the third game.
Khalil got a much needed tune up in the semi-final when two-time, reigning Caribbean under 17 champion Nyron Joseph stole the first game and almost won the second in their encounter on Saturday night. Joseph did not get to win back-to-back games as he did around this time last year against Khalil, but he managed to win the third game and force Khalil to dig deep and win in five. Pollard on the other hand, comfortably eliminated Raphael deGroot in straight games in his semi-final encounter.
In the final round robin encounter of the women’s tournament, Kathy Shuffler-Ten Pow fell prey to Ashley Khalil in straight games. Khalil, who also played in the male category, was fierce in her encounter against the former Caribbean champion in her first tournament back and won 11/5, 11/4, 11/5. Ashley deGroot finished second to Khalil in that category while Shuffler-Ten Pow took third.
Joseph benefited from a walkover from Raphael deGroot to take third place in the men’s draw. Allan Downes was clinical in the fifth game to edge Adam Alves in the men’s plate final (12/10, 6/11, 11/7, 4/11, 11/8) while Benjamin Mekdeci stunned Nicholas Narain in three games to win the Men’s Classis Plate.
Men’s draw
First place: Jason Ray Khalil
Second place: Regan Pollard
Third place: Nyron Joseph
Fourth Place Raphael deGroot
Women’s round robin
First place: Ashley Khalil
Second place: Ashley DeGroot
Third place: Kathy Shuffler-Ten Pow
Fourth Place: Alysa Xavier
Men’s Classic Plate
First place: Benjamin Mekdeci
Second place: Nicholas Narain
Men’s Plate
First place: Allan Downes
Second place: Adam Alves
Third place: Alec Melville
