ASHLEY Khalil and Kamir Khan are the open and A-class winners respectively in the recently concluded Guyana Squash Association (GSA) Digicel and Ansa Mc Al Lucozade Handicap Squash Tournament.The tournament, which concluded late Saturday evening at the Georgetown Club Inc courts, saw the most exhilarating night of action in the tournament with several close encounters.
Khalil became the new Open champion with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Adam Alves, while Kamir Khan is the new category ‘A’ champion after his defeat of Mohyryan Baksh.
In the Open final, Khalil (-3) started 11 points behind Alves +8 with the latter dominating the first game 15/9thanks to some exquisite shots
In the second game, Khalil came out more focused, moving Alves around the court and making fewer mistakes before quickly erasing the 11-point difference, catching Alves at 10 and winning second game 15/10.
At one all it was anyone’s final to win with Alves getting to 11 points in the last game before Khalil cleared the deficit.
Alves led 13/6, then 14/10 match ball, but Khalil would not give up, held her nerve and won the next five points to secure victory 15/14 and win her first handicap title.
In the category, ‘A’ final 10-year-old Khan was up against nine-year-old Baksh with both players having a +10 handicap which meant that they could start at 0
Khan quickly raced out to a 7/2 lead and eventually won the first game 15/8, while the roles reversed in game two as Baksh led from the start and moved out to 9/4.
At 10 all, it seemed as if Khan would have a straight-set victory, but Baksh won the next three points before Khan would win two and eventually close out the second game 15/12.
Khan seemed inspired in the third game and was quickly out to a 12/3 lead and then was at 14/8 match ball, but Baksh would not go down easily and got the 12 before Khan closed out the game and match 15/12.
In the Open category,in the third-place playoff between the De Groot brothers, younger brother Raphael -12 beat Peter Michael -10 by two games to one.
In the Category ‘A’ third-place match, James Mekdeci +8 beat Mashal Allicock +12 in straight games. James won 15/12, 15/14.