T&T's Simon Blake and Fabien Whitfield enjoyed a mixed opening day of the third stop of the 2012 Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic with a win and loss from their two matches on Friday. In their opening match of the double-elimination US$10,000 tournament, Blake, returning from injury, and his partner Whitfield were beaten by Puerto Rico's Roberto Rodriguez and Orlando Irizarry 14–21, 15–21.
However, the T&T pair rebounded to defeat Curacao's Giandro Tokaay and Quinten Anthony 21–18, 21–15. It was the first tournament for Blake after recovering from an injury during which time he was replaced by Daneil Williams. Last week at the second-leg of the tour Whitfield and Williams finished a creditable fifth at the Guatemala Gatorade Beach Volleyball Tournament at Campo Marte, downtown Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Williams and Whitfield, who reached the quarterfinals of the opening leg in Cayman Islands, won 21–16, 21–11 over Bahamians, Renaldo Knowles and Muller Petir in the 16-team double elimination style play opener and followed it up by beating El Salvadoreans, Luis Morales and Carlos Escobar 21–12, 21–17 to advance to the main draw.
However, the Toco-born duo coached by David Thomas, was then beaten by eventual gold medal winners' Puerto Rico's Roberto Martinez and Pablo Guzman, 12–21, 16–21. This was followed by another defeat at the hands of Americans' Tony Pray and John Heagy, the silver medal pair in three sets, 13–21, 22–20, 8–15.
The local women's team of Ayanna Dyette and Elki Phillip did not travel to Santo Domingo as they are still recovering from injury. In their only tournament so far this season, in Cayman Islands, Dyette and Phillip had a 21–17, 22–20 victory over Cayman Islands' Jennifer Bily and Cristin Alexander before losing to Puerto Rico's Yarleen Santiago and Yamileska Yantin 14–21, 17–21, and Americans Michelle Moriarty and Traci Weamer 9–21, 9–21.
