Arun Roopnarine and national senior women's champion Brittany Joseph were both impressive as T&T's juniors made winning starts to the Caribbean Table Tennis Federation Cadet & Junior Championship at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo, yesterday.
In the morning session, T&T blanked Suriname 3-0 and followed up with a 3-1 whipping of Guyana to improve to a 2-0 record ahead of their final round-robin clash against the combined team of Curacao/St Maarten last night.
Roopnarine was first to take the table for T&T 'A' and won easily over Suriname's Jared Sogea 11-7, 11-3, 11-4 while AndreusPantin-Abraham battled past Maurice Lie 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9 before Sarvesh Mungal spanked Mitchell Tamrin 11-4, 11-4, 11-4.
Against Suriname, Stafan Corlette upstaged Pantin-Abraham 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 15-13 to hand the visitors a 1-0 lead after which it was all T&T, led by Roopnarine, which crushed David Duncan 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 and Corlette 12-10, 11-7, 11-5 in his two singles matches, while Mungal beat Scott Garraway 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9.
The Curacao/St Maarten combination, meanwhile, got past Suriname 3-2 to join Guyana with a 1-1 record ahead of their second place decider in the group clash, last night. Guyana won 3-0 over the combined Curacao and St Maarten in its opener.
In Group Two, Dominican Republic swept T&T 'B' 3-0 in their opener and then overcame rivals Puerto Rico 3-1 to improve to 2-0 as well.
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Junior Girls, Round One, Group One:
Dominican Republic bt T&T/Barbados 3-0
Puerto Rico bt Guyana 3-2
Round Two:
Dominican Republic bt Puerto Rico 3-2
Cadet Girls:
Round One:
T&T 'A' bt T&T 'B' 3-0
Gyshan Latchman bt Shaneka Johnson 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9
Jasher De Gannes bt Monique Cooper 12-10, 11-4, 11-8
Nalini Boodoo bt Anjana Valsalan 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-7.
Dominican Republic bt Barbados 3-0
Puerto Rico bt Guyana 0
Round Two:
Dominican Republic bt T&T 'A' 3-0
Kircia Diaz bt Gyshan Latchman 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
Cinthya Sanchez bt Jasher De Gannes 11-2, 7-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7
Esmerlyn Castro bt Ray J Thomas 16-14, 11-9, 11-9
Puerto Rico bt T&T 'B'
Lineris Rivera bt Danielle Dick 11-5, 11-8, 11-2
Paola Sanabria bt Monique Cooper 11-4, 11-4, 11-7
Bianca Serrano bt Anjana Valsalan 11-2, 11-6, 11-6
Puerto Rico bt Dominican Republic 3-1
Round Three:
T&T A bt Barbados 3-2
Gyshan Latchman lost to Anthonette Riley 1-11, 8-11, 7-11
Jasher De Gannes bt Marissa Alleyne default 11-0, 11-0, 11-0
Nalini Boodoo bt Janae Lewis 11-2, 11-4, 11-2
Jasher De Gannes lost to Anthonette Riley 7-11, 4-11, 11-7, 7-11
Gyshan Latchman bt Marissa Alleyne default 11-0, 11-0, 11-0
Guyana bt T&T 'B' 3-1
Kristie Lopes lost to Monique Cooper 8-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 9-11
Priscilla Greaves bt Shaneka Johnson 11-8, 11-6, 11-5
Neveah Clarkston bt Danielle Dick 11-7, 11-4, 11-7
Priscilla Greaves bt Monique Cooper 8-11,
11-8, 11-3, 11-8
Puerto Rico bt Dominican Republic 3-1.