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2011 Barbados
Squash Open
13-19 June, Barbados |
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Ladies
Final:
Karen Meakins (BAR) bt Lilianna White (BAR)
11/2, 11/2, 11/4 (18m)
Men’s ‘A’ Final:
Richard Chin (GUY) bt Cameron Stafford (CAY)
4/11, 5/11, 12/10, 13/11, 11/7 (52m) |
Top seeds take Barbados titles
Craig Archer reports
The Men’s ‘A’ final was a match of astonishing quality and a
complete contrast in styles. I don’t think a reigning
Caribbean Junior (U-19) Champion has ever come as close to
defeating a reigning Caribbean Senior Men’s Champion as
Cameron did on Saturday night.
 Stafford
blew Chin away in the first two games with a withering
display of attacking squash, slicing cross-court nicks at
will on either wing. The crowd was stunned into near silence
as they had never seen the 41 year old New York based Chin –
the B’dos Open Champion in 2008 & 2009 - look even close to
losing on a Barbados court before. Chin responded by slowing
down the pace and playing high court-court lobs to try to
keep the 19-year old Caymanian at bay.
At 8-7 up in the third Stafford hit a routine forehand
cross-court nick attempt into the tin. Had he made that shot
I believe the match would have ended quickly thereafter but
that little opening was all Chin needed. Stafford still
managed to reach his first match ball at 10-9 up but Chin
fought back to level at ten. He then led 11-10 and after a
long rally at game ball chased down a backhand drop from
Stafford and flicked a backhand lob straight down the wall
that was so tight it literally rolled down the backhand wall
and out of Stafford’s reach. The crowd cheered, because they
wanted to see more squash from these two great Caribbean
champions.
At 1-2 down Chin’s tactics were the same, straight length
with no pace, wide cross-court drives to avoid the Stafford
volley and high cross-court lobs to get out of trouble when
under pressure in the front court. I don’t recall him
playing an attacking boast in the match, so wary was he of
the variety of shots that Stafford could unleash from the
front court.
 Chin
moved Stafford to the front with straight forehead drops and
drop volleys. Still Stafford showed no fear and kept
attacking at every opportunity. The fourth game was close
with Chin leading slightly, but then a brief flurry of
winners from the teenager and a couple of unforced errors by
Chin gave Stafford a second match ball at 11-10. Chin hung
on grimly to take the last three rallies to lock things up
at two games apiece.
In the fifth game the pressure finally began to tell on
Stafford’s legs. As he tired he snatched at volleys and
oftentimes found the tin instead of the nick. He also lost a
bit of his earlier discipline and became impatient, trying
to do too much with the ball on every shot, which opened up
the court for Chin to step in with telling drop volleys and
basic length into the open court.
Chin led almost right from the start but only looked the
dominant player we know him to be in the latter stages of
this final game. He almost sighed with relief as the final
rally ended and, as he admitted afterwards, he was thankful
to escape with the win as he had rarely, if ever, been so
roughly treated in the first two games of any match by any
opponent.
He praised Stafford for his amazing performance and
improvement over the past 10 months since the last senior
Caribbean Championships in August 2010 in St. Vincent when
the two had met with Chin winning 3-0. He wished the
teenager well on his recent entry into the men’s
professional (PSA) tour. Stafford will surely be a senior
Caribbean Champion in the very near future.
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Semi-Finals:
Richard Chin bt Jonathan Gallacher
8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9
Cameron Stafford bt Gavin Cumberbatch
12-10, 11-4, 11-7
Karen Meakins bt Kristina Evelyn
11-7, 11-6, 11-7
Lilliana White bt Jenny Armstrong
4-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-7
Top seeds prevail in semis
After Thursday night’s plethora of upsets at the Barbados
Squash Club the top seeds in the Men’s ‘A’ and the Ladies
competition progressed, as expected, to their respective
finals on Day 4 of this year’s Barbados Squash Open.
The ladies final will be a repeat of this year’s National
final in March as the top two seeds, Karen Meakins and
Lilianna White progressed in contrasting fashion at the
expense of Kristina Evelyn and Jenny Armstrong respectively.
The top seeded Meakins moved imperiously past former
National Champion Kristina Evelyn and won in straight games
11-7, 11-6, 11-7 to reach her 13th Barbados Open final.
In today’s final the 12-time champion will face #2 Lilianna
White who had a much sterner test against Jenny Armstrong,
however. White had to dig deep to overcome the overseas
based Armstrong who started the match at a high tempo
playing with a good pace and volleying everything within
reach. But after losing that game 4-11, White cut out many
of her unforced errors and stormed back to claim the next
three games 11-3, 11-6, 11-7 and raised her arms in triumph
and embraced her older opponent after she was unable to
return yet another crisp cross court drive.
In the men's event the #2 seed Cameron Stafford
(Cayman), the reigning Caribbean U-19 Champion easily
dispatched former Caribbean Men’s Champion, Gavin
Cumberbatch, who fought hard for the first game before being
blown away in a flurry of devastating winners from the
prodigiously talented Caymanian who earlier this year joined
the senior PSA men’s professional tour. Stafford won 12-10,
11-4, 11-7 in the shortest of the semi-final matches played
last night.
The second semi-final was a complete contrast and a real
exhibition of thoughtful attacking squash by two of the top
player/coaches in the region. Current Caribbean Champion and
#1, Richard Chin (Guyana) was fully extended by
Barbados National Coach, Jonathan Gallacher, in Friday
night's semi-final when the enthralled spectators were
treated to some of the best squash seen in court #1 for a
while. Gallacher attached from the off with extreme pace on
both wings.
No player led by more than two points all the way to 8-7
with Gallacher leading, when two errors by Chin gave the
younger Englishman three game balls at 10-7 up. The 42 year
old Chin saved one game ball but Gallacher pressed home his
advantage to win the first game 11-8. The former 2008 and
2009 Barbados Open Champion Chin, then completely changed
his game from the start of the second game and slowed the
game down with lobs and drops.
Both players wowed the crowd with their patient, steady play
with lengthy rallies, and incredible retrieving. Chin
especially continually displayed incredible defense under
pressure and used the cross-court lob to get out of trouble
time after time. The next two games went to the Caribbean
Champion at 5 and 5. To his credit Gallacher, after changing
his shirt for the third time, tried to pick up the pace once
again. It was to no avail.
All the work he had to do in the previous three games began
to tell. Chin rushed to a decisive 6-2 lead and try as he
might the gallant Gallacher could not close the gap in time.
At 10-7 match ball up, Chin lost two rallies as Gallacher
closed in to trail 9-10. Chin, however, finished off the
match in style to win 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 in 46 minutes,
the longest match of the day.
All finals will be played today (Saturday) beginning at 2
p.m. The Ladies final is scheduled for 4:30 pm and the Men’s
final for 5 p.m. All matches are being played at Barbados
Squash Club, Marine Gardens, Hastings and entrance is free.
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Quarter-Finals
Jonathan Gallacher reports
It was a night of upsets at the Barbados Open with half of
the players expected to reach the semi-finals failing to do
so.
 In
the ladies quarter-finals the top two seeds Karen Meakins
and Lilianna White progressed in the tournament at
the expense of Alex Jordan and Nadia McCarthy. However,
White had to dig deep to overcome McCarthy in five tough
games.
Both Kristina Evelyn and Jenny Armstrong
showed good form in defeating their higher seeded
opposition. Evelyn now faces the sternest test in the next
round against Caribbean Champion Meakins. Meanwhile, White
and Armstrong will do battle to reach Saturday afternoon's
final.
 In
the men's event Richard Chin (Guyana) and Cameron
Stafford (Cayman) look on course to meet in the final
after defeating St. Vincent opposition.
Jules Snagg's dramatic five set win over Rhett
Cumberbatch on Wednesday night earned him the right to play
top seeded Chin. However, the Caribbean champion who is
based in New York controlled the match after a close first
game against Snagg.
Chin will play National Coach Jonathan Gallacher in
Friday's semi-final in a contest between the two veteran
players. Gallacher defeated National Men's Champion Bryant
Cumberbatch in three straight games in what was a repeat of
their Barbados National final in March.
Second seed Stafford eased past last year's giant killer
Kevin Bailey (SVI) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5. He will now take on
Gavin Cumberbatch who was involved in a dramatic match
with defending Barbados Open champion Shawn Simpson.
Cumberbatch edged a close first game 12-10 and the scoreline
was balanced towards the end of the second when Simpson was
forced to concede with a knee injury.
The men's 'B' event also saw the top two seeds progress.
Leon Truss defeating 16 year old Johann Haywood. Haywood
did well to reach this stage of the tournament after beating
the seasoned campaigner 5/8 seed Cliff Nolan in the previous
round. Truss will play Oliver Gale who beat Ryan
Foster in a four game upset.
15 year old Stewart St John continued his excellent
run of upsets by beating 3/4 seed Rawle Jackson by the
closest of margins 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 9-11, 12-10. St.John
will aim to reach the final against second seed Jasper
Seymour who beat Dave Lewis 3-1.
Semi-finals take place from 4.45pm on Friday evening with
finals on Saturday between 1pm and 5pm. All matches are
being played at Barbados Squash Club, Marine Gardens,
Hastings and entrance is free.
Tournament Director
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Ladies
Quarter-finals:
1) Karen Meakins (Bar) beat 5/8) Alex Jordan 3-0 (11-5,
11-3, 11-5)
5/8) Kristina Evelyn(Bar) beat 3/4) Natalie Chesham (Bar)
3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-6)
5/8) Jenny Armstrong (Bar) beat 3/4) Lea Solomon (Bar) 3-1
(6-11, 11-6, 11-0, 11-7)
2) Lilianna White beat 5/8) Nadia McCarthy (Bar) 3-2 (8-11,
11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5)
Men's Quarter-finals:
1) Richard Chin (Guy) beat Jules Snagg (SVI) 3-0 (11-9,
11-7, 11-4)
5/8) Jonathan Gallacher (Eng) beat 3/4) Bryant Cumberbatch
3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-9)
5/8) Gavin Cumberbatch (Bar) beat 3/4) Shawn Simpson (Bar)
1-0 ret (12-10, 9-9 ret)
2) Cameron Stafford (Cay) beat 5/8) Kevin Bailey (SVI) 3-0
(11-6, 11-4, 11-5)
Men's 'B' Quarter-finals:
1) Leon Truss (Bar) beat Johann Haywood (Bar)) 3-0 (14-12,
11-3, 11-4))
Oliver Gale (Bar) beat 3/4) Ryan Foster 3-1 (11-6, 6-11,
13-11, 11-8)
Stewart St.John (Bar) beat 3/4) Rawle Jackson (Bar) 3-2
(7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 9-11, 12-10)
2) Jasper Seymour (Bar) beat 5/8) Dave Lewis 5/8) 3-1 (4-11,
11-7, 11-6, 11-7) |
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