Fernandes beat Pollard in Men’s 30-44 division

By Sean Devers
THE second night of the BCQS Masters Squash Championships continued Thursday with an entertaining contest between Guyana’s most accomplished female Squash player, Nicolette Fernanades and former National Champion, Regan Pollard.

Pollard, who represented Guyana at two Commonwealth Games, pulled on all his experience but just could not conquer the explosive court speed and superior fittness level of Fernandes.
Fernandes executed several crisp back hand drives and well placed drop shots, some of which the former two-time Caribbean under-19 champion, did not even attempt to go for and as the match progressed he seemed exhausted.

But Pollard made Fernandes, who won a Pam Am Gold medal last year in Guatemala, work hard for her points.

The pair engaged in some fairly lengthy rallies which Fernandes usually ended with deft short drops with Pollard at the back of the court.

Fernandes is no stranger to playing in the Men’s category; in 2010 she won both the Men and Women’s titles and also played among the Guys in 2017 National Open Championships.

The Caribbean Squash Queen displayed excellent Court awareness and retrieval skills and won the first two games 11-2 and 11-5.

Pollard came out in the third with renewed energy and took the early lead with some quality Squash as he threated to take match in a fourth game.

But Fernandes, aided by some lose work by Pollard, won the game and match 3-0 with a hard fought 11-9 win in game three.

Thursday Evening’s action commenced with play in the 56-64 division with Trinidadian John Holly defeating Sanjay Amin from Barbados 11-8, 11-5,11-2; Ron Edwards got the better of John Astleford 11-6, 10-12, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7; Mark Sealy beat fellow Barbadian Peter Harris 11,5, 11-1, 11-1 and Joseph Mekdeci beat Lloyd Fung-a-Fat 11-4, 12-10, 11-8.

In the 45-54 division T&T’s Peter Pirtheesingh beat Guyana’s Khalil Ali 11-6, 11-3, 6-11, 11-6.

In the other Men’s 30-44 matches, Jason van Dirk disposed of fellow Guyanese Reagan Rodrigues 11-5, 11-4, 11-4; Bajan Shawn Simpson beat Jonathan Antczak 11-7, 11-1, 11-2; Alex Arjoon beat Javid Rahaman 11-3, 11-4, 11-3 and Daniel Ince defeated Nicholas Narain 11-3, 11-7, 11-1.

In the Women’s over-35s Lydia Fraser beat Vincentian Hazel-Anne Sandy 11-6, 11-3, 11-2, while Guyana’s Kathy Ten Pow beat Canadian Anna Perreira 11-0, 11-0, 11-1.
The tournament was scheduled to continue last night and climax with the finals today.