Wiltshire, DeGroot, Arjoon, Khalil win on 2nd night

By Sean Devers
WITH rain pouring on the outside, a much larger gathering than on the first night witnessed competitive Squash as the action on night two of the Senior National Open Squash Championships served off on Tuesday night at the Georgetown Club.

When the dust had settled, Larrissa Wiltshire, Ashley DeGroot, Jason-Ray Khalil and Alex Arjoon were all in winners’ row.

In the opening match, Wiltshire defeated Safirah Summer 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 in a game dominated by Wiltshire, whose father Garfield and siblings Akeila and Shomari have all won Caribbean squash titles.

DeGroot had to fight hard in her 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 victory against Kirsten Gomes in the only match of the night that went to five games.

The first game was won by Gomes, who used her backhand drives and drop shots to good effect before DeGroot bounced back in the second game as she upped her game and demonstrated good use of the court.

In the ‘ding-dong’ battle, Gomes, showing good intensity, won the third game before DeGroot won the fourth game 11-5 to take the match to a fifth game.

DeGroot raced away to a six-love lead in the penultimate game before Gomes responded with a couple of unanswered points in a competitive final game which saw plenty of drop shots.

But in the end it was DeGroot who prevailed despite some heated squash on a cold night.

Southpaw Alex Arjoon got the better of Louis DaSilva in three straight games, 11-3, 11-3, 11-2.

But DaSilva played spirited squash and engaged Arjoon in some long rallies and the eventual scores were not a true indication of the quality of squash played by DaSilva.

In the last match of the night, Khalil, the brother of Caribbean Women’s Singles Champion Ashley Khalil, beat Steven Xavier 11-3, 11-5, 11-7.

The tournament was scheduled to continue last night with a break tonight before concluding tomorrow night when the presentation ceremony will be held.