GUYANA’S Sunil Seth gave defending champion Chris Binni e a run for his money, but still came up short when he clashed with the Jamaican in a heated battle late Tuesday evening, for the men’s singles title in this year’s Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Senior Championships. diligentlyIn a gruelling five-set match, the two world-ranked players, both with his own point to prove, fought assiduously to hunt down the title. Having never played each other before the two players quickly got to work. Seth quickly let Binnie know just how tough things were going to be for him to retain his title, as he out-mastered Binnie 11-8 in the first set.

Adapting to Seth’s game, Binnie won the next two sets 11-7, 11-4 and had the crowd tense, wondering if it was over for Seth.
To constant chants and cheers from the high energy-packed viewing area, Seth kept the excitement high as he worked his way up to a 11-8 take of the next set, levelling the score and sending the match to the nail-biting decisive fifth set.
Coming back unto the courts after a short break, both players felt the pressure with each passing game, until a frustrated Seth went down 8-11.
Though unable to come out on top this time around, Seth, commenting after the match, noted that he was still pleased with his performance and vowed to use this match as motivation to do better.
A thrilled Binnie commended Seth’s performance, relating that he really had to put his best foot forward to defeat the England-born Guyanese.
“It was a tough match. Sunil was a great player and I’m just happy to have stepped away with a win, to be honest. I try to be a 100 percent for every match, no matter who it is.
It’s his first year playing in the Caribbean games and I had heard good things about him, and he was the number two seed; never played him before, never seen him before but you know you can’t ever take anybody lightly and I didn’t tonight and he really came out tonight.” Binnie said.
Earlier in the evening Nicolette Fernandes still took one for Guyana when she too retained her title in the women’s singles after she took out Barbados’ Karen Meakins in straight sets.
In other matches of the night Guyana also finished third in the men’s singles and women’s singles. On the men’s side, third place went to Richard Chin after he defeated Cameron Stafford 11-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2. The women’s third place went to Ashley Khalil after she overcame Mary Fung-A-Fat in straight sets ending 11-1, 11-8, 11-3.
In other wins for Guyana, national men’s singles champion Alex Arjoon finished fifth to win the men’s classic plate.