Kerrie Sample was T&T's sole remaining hope of bringing home an individual medal at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Senior Championships at the Cascadia Squash Club yesterday. On Monday, Sample made her way past the quarterfinal stage after discarding Guyana's Mary Fung-a-Fat in an embarrassing (11-4, 11-2, 11-4) straight-set win. The former Caribbean Under-19 then advanced to the semifinal where she faced defending champion Nicolette Fernandes (Guyana). Fernandes showed why she is the region's top women's player when she blew away Bajan Nadia McCarthy 11-4, 11-0, 11-5, in their quarterfinal. Unfortunately for T&T, the Guyanese top seed continued her winning ways into the semifinal with an 11-6, 11-4, 11-5, triumph to avenge her compatriot who Sample booted out in the quarters. But Sample still had a chance to bring home bronze for T&T in the third place playoff yesterday against Paris.
The women's final was contested at 7.30pm last night with Fernandes set to face Bajan Karen Meakins. Meakins booked her spot in the final after eventually getting the better of compatriot Cheri-Ann Paris in their semifinal match. Meakins got things off to a good start with an 11-6 win in the first set. But then Paris took her team-mate by surprise in the second set with an emphatic 11-1 pounding to even the score. But this did not daunt Meakins one bit as she prevailed 11-5, 11-9, in the following sets. Pinard gave up T&T's last chance of medalling in the men's main draw after bowing out in the quarterfinals on Monday. On Sunday, Pinard booked his spot into the final eight after taking a 3-0 sweep over former national champion Colin Ramasra in their round three match. Ramasra, who was booted out by Pinard in the semifinal stage of the National Championships by a close 3-2 win, was denied a chance at revenge as he was dismissed 11-6, 11-6, 11-9.
In the quarterfinal, however, Pinard met his match when he came up against defending men's CASA champion Chris Binnie. Although the national champ put up a fight in the last set, the Jamaican top seed was just too much for him as Binnie prevailed 11-4, 11-3, 11-7. Binnie also remained on course to retain his title when he advanced to the final after overcoming Bajan Shawn Simpson 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 in their semifinal match. Cayman Islands' Cameron Stafford did quite some work in getting past Bermudan Mikah Franklin in their semi but, Stafford eventually won 11/5, 9/11, 7/11, 11/5, 11/7. Binnie and Stafford were scheduled to battle in the men's final which was contested last night after press time.
