KRISTIAN Jeffrey and Alex Arjoon closed off the 2016 edition of the Digicel Senior Squash Championships in fitting style as they both left it all on the court in the men’s draw on Sunday.Jeffrey got off to a flyer in his match against Arjoon with supporters in the Georgetown Club Inc. squash courts having their own vocal battles in cheering their respective players.
The reigning sportsman-of-the-year won the first set 6-11, but began to tire as his semi-final win the previous night against defending champion Nyron Joseph (7-11, 13-11, 11-7, 6-11, 13-11) went for more than an hour.
Arjoon, on the other hand, beat Jason Ray Khalil in straight games 11-8, 11-7, 12-10 and showed his endurance to take the second 11-9, the third 11-6 and the final set 11-3. The duo put on an entertaining display fitting of a final as they pushed each for to the limit.
In the playoff for third place Jason Ray overcame Nyron 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 13-15, 11/3.
Ashley Khalil won her first National title when she defeated Akeila Wiltshire in three straight games 11-4, 11-7, 11-8. Both of these players had won their semi-final matches the previous evening with Ashley beating Larissa Wiltshire in the first semi-final 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 while Akeila had a close four-set win over Taylor Fernandes 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7.
In the playoff for third place Taylor had to call on all her reserves to stave off the challenge of Larissa, winning 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 2-11, 11-7.
In the Womens Classic Plate final Victoria Arjoon thrashed Rebecca Low 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 while in the Men’s Classic Plate final Regan Pollard gained a walkover from Ben Mekdeci who was ill.
In the Men’s Plate final Daniel Islam won an epic five-setter against his junior teammate, Alec Melville coming from two games to love down, to take the match 6-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3, 11-8.