Top T&T women's player, France-based Rheann Chung had to settle for the bronze medal after losing in the Women's Open Singles semifinal of the Pan American Sport Festival Table-Tennis Tournament at the National Centre for Talent Development and High Performance Sports in Mexico City, yesterday.
The 26-year-old Chung, a five-time Caribbean singles champion did not go out without a fight though as she stretched Puerto Rican Adriana Diaz to seven sets, before losing 8-11, 7-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 5-11 while Mexico's Yadira Silva defeated Cuban, Leisy Jimenez 11-3, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 in the other final-four encounter of the tournament which concluded last night.
When the tournament resumed yesterday morning with round-of-32 play, Chung battled past El Salvadorean De Ying Wang, 11-9, 11-2, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 and then brushed aside Guyana's Trenace Lowe 11-5, 11-1, 11-5, 11-6 in the last-16 followed by an upset of second ranked Brazilian Bruna Takahashi in seven testing sets, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10, 12-14, 11-4 in her quarterfinal.
On Saturday, the sixth seeded Chung defeated Colombian Paloma Sarmiento 11�9, 11�7, 11�6 after she was taken the distance by Canadian Alicia Cote, 5�11, 11�6, 6�11, 11�4, 12�10 in her Group Six qualifying series.
However Chung team-mates, ten-time national champion and Ashley Quashie did not get past their round-robin groups.
Edwards was beaten in her Group Four curtain raiser 5�11, 7�11, 7�11 by Chile's Paulina Vega and also by Dominican Republic's Lineth Vila 10-12, 11-8, 6-11, 4-11. Quashie bowed to Brazilian Bruna Alexandre 8-11, 8-11, 8-11 and with a place in the main draw up for grabs she let a 2-0 sets lead slip against Peru's Gabriela Soto, in an 11-8, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11, 6-11 loss.
Chung's step-father, 46-year-old Dexter St Louis, also a five-time Caribbean singles champ, was ousted at the last-16 hurdle, losing 9-11, 3-11, 5-11, 9-11 by 36th ranked Andy Pereira of Cuba.
On Saturday, St Louis, seeded fifth, swept past Venezuelan, Marcos Rosas, 11�9, 11�8, 11�3 and Jamaica Ryan Peters, 11�9, 11�3, 11�4 in his Group Five matches to reach the main draw knockout stage where he was handed a round-of-32 bye.
Fellow national player, Curtis Humphreys was stopped at the round of 32, going under to Guatemalan Heber Moscoso 4-11, 5-11, 8-11, 10-12.
In his Group Seven round-robin series, Humphreys went under to Argentine, Pablo Tabachnik, 10�12, 5�11, 9�11 but took second spot via his come-from-behind 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 win over Barbadian Kristian Doughty.
T&T's other entrant in the men's singles competition, Aaron Wilson was beaten in both his Group Two matches, first by Brazilian Vitor Ishiy, 9�11, 2�11, 4�11 and then Costa Rica's Jeison Martinez, 5-11, 8-11, 10-12.
In the men's doubles, St Louis and Humphreys brushed aside Tyrese Knight and Marcus Smith of Barbados 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 in the round-of-16, before losing in the quarterfinals to Argentine's Gaston Alto and abachnik 5-11, 4-11, 7-11. In the women's doubles Chung and Quashie were dumped by Canada's Alicia Cote and Michelle Liaw 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 9-11.
On Thursday, the T&T men ended bottom of their round-robin Group Two series after losing to Canada and the Dominican Republic, both by 3�1 margins.
The local women's team also suffered 1�3 losses against Brazil and Guatemala with St Louis and Chung getting both wins in each category.