Pollard, Fernandes Guyana's main hopes
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
June 2, 2002
Regan Pollard remains Guyana's only hope of capturing top honours in the men's category of the Georgetown Open Squash Tournament, which climaxes today at the Georgetown Club.
Pollard who has been selected to represent Guyana at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, next month, was down to play St. Lucia's Charlie Sonson in a semi-final fixture last evening. The winner will play the winner of the other semi-final - Paul DeVerteuil (Trinidad) versus Nick Kyne (Bermuda) - for the US$600 first prize money. The runner-up will receive US$350.
The ladies final which will also be played today, is an all Guyanese affair between Nicolette Fernandes and Denise Jeffrey. The winner will receive US$400 and the runner-up, US$200. No regional woman participant accepted the Guyana Squash Association's invitation to participate in the tournament.
Fernandes has also been selected to represent Guyana at the Commonwealth Games and will be travelling to England on Thursday, to continue training under Neil Harvey who coaches the world's number one men's player. The stint will run until the Commonwealth Games gets underway.
In reaching the semi-final, Pollard edged Trinidad and Tobago's Colin Ramasra in five hard fought games. Pollard took the first two 9-0, 9-4, but lost the next two 0-9, 4-9 and in the decisive game, was extended by his opponent before winning at 9-7. Pollard had also got past his compatriot James Mentore in an earlier fixture.
Both Pollard and Sonson have a win against each other at the Georgetown Club court. When they first met in 1999, Pollard defeated Sonson 3-2 in a semi-final encounter, but in 2000, Sonoson turned the tables on Pollard with a 3-2 victory in a semi-final match also.
Sonson got past Barbados' Marlon White 9-6, 9-1, 9-2 in the quarter-final round and Jermy Bell (9-0, 9-7, 9-6) and Peter DeGroot (9-4, 9-4, 9-6) in the preliminary round.
DeVerteuil who came into the tournament seeded number one, defeated Barbados' Fabian Goodridge 9-6, 9-5, 9-2 in their quarter-final encounter yesterday after making light work of Guyana's Alex Gouveia in a preliminary match.
Kyne, seeded three for the tournament, had a tough fight on his hands to get past Guyana Shawn Badrinauth who was seeded four, but in the end came out on top 10-8, 9-3, 9-7. Kyne had earlier defeated Damion Fernandes 9-7, 9-2, 9-0 in a preliminary round match.
In the women's semi-final, Nicolette Fernandes defeated Kristina King 9-1, 9-0, 9-0, while Denise Jeffrey brushed aside Andrea King 9-2, 9-0, 9-1.
Jeffrey had earlier white washed Chelsea Fung 9-0, 9-0, 9-0, while Fernandes had secured a walk-over from Dominique Dias.
In other men's results, Goodridge came from two games down to beat Guyana's Robert Fernandes 4-9, 4-9, 9-4, 9-5, 9-3. He also got past Stanley Marcus 9-5, 9-4, 9-0, while White defeated Marcus (Guyana) 3-9, 9-4, 9-1, 9-6 and Ramasra made light work of Damien DaSilva, winning 9-2, 9-1, 9-1.
In the preliminary competition on Thursday, Gouveia defeated Raphael DeGroot 9-0, 9-2, 9-3, Damion Fernan-des beat Kristian Jeffrey 9-3, 3-9, 9-5, 9-7, Jaggessar got past Paul Williams 9-2, 9-7, 9-1, Bell made light work of Javed Rahaman 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 and Mentore defeated Wayne Narain 9-0, 9-7, 9-4.
In other women's results, Tiffany Solomon defeated Andrea King 2-9, 6-9, 9-5, 9-5, 10-8 and Kristine King beat Kimberly Jeffrey 9-4, 9-2, 9-3.
The third and fourth place finishers in the men's division will receive US$200 and US$50 respectively, while on the distaff side, the third and fourth place finishers will take home US$150 and US$50 respectively.