Guyana’s Nicolette Fernandes recovered from being two sets to one down to reached the final of the women’s singles competition at the South American Games last night.
Coming up against Ecuador’s Maria Paula Moya Lopez, the former world ranked player, won the first set 12-10 but Lopez, 18 years younger took the next two sets 11-5, 11-4 to be on the brink of a finals berth.
But the evergreen Fernandes displaying the stamina which belied her 39 years of age, roared back to win the next two sets 11-5, 11-4, snatching victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat.
The win assured the Guyana contingent of at least a silver medal to go with the two bronze medals won by boxers Desmond Amsterdam and Keevin Allicock.
Earlier Fernandes cruised past Argentina’s Pilar Etchebury 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-4) but Guyana’s other female competitor Caribbean champion Ashley Khalil was edged 2-3 by Ecuador’s Maria Araque who won 11-5, 2-11, 11-1, 8-11 and 11-8.
Fernandes will play Laura Perez also of Ecuador in the final after she defeated Paraguay’s Lujan Palacios in the other semi-final 11-4, 11-8, 11-9.
In the women’s doubles the pair of Fernandes and Khalil lost 0-2 (2-11, 3-11) to Colombia’s Andrea Madrigal and Lucia Sarmiento in the quarterfinals.
