The defending champions both successfully retained
their respective national squash titles as the curtain came down on the 31 st
Barbados National Squash Championships, which were sponsored by the Barbados
Olympic Association.
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| Winners in the national veteran’s
competition and the national championships. Squatting in front are the ladies
champion, Karen Meakins (left), and the men’s champion, Shawn Simpson
(right). As well as their trophies these two also received lunch vouchers
with the compliments of the Ship Inn]. |
In the ladies final on Saturday afternoon the
top seeded Karen Meakins duly won her fifth successive national crown by
easily defeating Sonia Perkins 9/1 9/3 9/3, and in doing so emulated the feat
of former 11-time champion, Natalie Webber, who won her last five titles in
succession between 1992 and 1996. Meakins, who has completely dominated the
local squash scene since emigrating from England to Barbados in 2000, was
always in control and hit immaculate length, width, drop shots and volleys
throughout her 21 minute match against the left handed #2 seed, Perkins, who
has now been runner-up in a national final on five different occasions.
The men’s final was a much closer affair but in the end it was the ability of
the left handed top seed and defending men’s champion, Shawn Simpson, to
combine powerful kill shots and amazing defensive prowess that proved to be
enough to take him home against the talented #2 seed Marlon White. White, who
played well in patches, was eventually betrayed by impatience when his 21 year
old opponent kept retrieving nearly all of his shots to keep each rally going.
On many occasions White hit shots that against lesser opponents would have
been winners, but Simpson used his great height and reach to good effect to
recover seemingly lost causes time and time again. The first game set the
pattern for the match when Simpson rushed to a quick 6-0, and then 8-1, lead
before White settled down and played patiently to get to within two points of
his rival before Simpson closed out the game at six. In the second game, White
recovered from a 3-7 deficit to get to 6-7 before he hit three unforced errors
and handed Simpson the game, once again at six. The loss of this game proved
to be decisive because no one watching could imagine that White would be able
to overcome a two game deficit and a seventeen year age difference to win in
five games. Simpson also now appeared supremely confident now that he had the
scent of victory in his nostrils and continued to run down every shot his
opponent tried to play and never looked like losing the third game which he
duly clinched to win 9/6 9/6 9/3 in 45 minutes. As he raised both arms aloft
in triumph, Simpson became only the fifth man to successfully defend a
national squash title in the past three decades.
The men’s third place trophy was won by the #3
seed, Nigel Griffith, who outlasted the 18 year old #4 seed, Rhett Cumberbatch
in four games 9/5 4/9 9/6 9/7. The ladies equivalent was won by the #4 seed,
Cheri-Ann Parris, who won her match against the #3 seed, Lilianna White when
White had to retire in the first game with a leg injury while trailing 1-6.
Results in the other matches played on Saturday were as follows:
Ladies Classic Plate Final ( 5th Place )
Bo Harris defeated Nadia McCarthy (3-1) 9/4 9/1 8/10 9/7
Ladies Seventh Place
Carla Jackson defeated Ayoni Bradshaw (3-0) 9/3 9/0 9/5
Ladies Plate Final ( 9th Place )
Sue Rogers defeated Edna Corbette (3-0) 9/4 9/4 9/4
Men’s Classic Plate Final ( 5th Place )
John Cumberbatch defeated Bryant Cumberbatch by default
Men’s Seventh Place
Craig Archer defeated Richard Moorjani by default due to injury
Men’s Consolation Plate Final ( 9th Place )
Ryan Truss defeated Leon Truss (3-1) 9/3 7/9 9/6 9/5
Men’s Plate Final ( 17th Place )
Don Benn defeated Andrew Nunes (3-1) 10/8 9/0 7/9 9/7
Read all the Barbados National Squash Championships 2005 articles
here!
Information courtesy::
www.squashbarbados.org
The National Championships consists of 3 separate
divisional tournaments - Juniors (under 19 years old), Veterans (over 35 years
old) and Open category.
The Junior Nationals covers boys and girls age groups of Under-11's, U13's,
U15's, U17's and U19's. The mens veterans includes Over-35's, O40's, O45's and
O50's, while the ladies have a single category: O35's. The Open category is
where the best players on the island slug it out to see who will have the
honour of being crowned "Barbados National Champion 2005".
Information courtesy::
www.squashbarbados.org |
