Nicolette Fernandes victorious, Antczak upset Mekdeci

By Sean Devers

THE third night of the Guinness National Senior Championships was another night of compelling Squash at the Georgetown (GT) Club as Jonathan Antczak created a major upset.

Playing on Court 2, Antczak, sporting a Blue Bandanna, produced his best Squash to beat the much-touted Ben Mekdeci 3-2 in an exhilarating five-game match.

Favorite Mekdeci began according to plan and took the first game 11-7 before losing the second 5-11 as both players played some astounding shots.

Long Rallies were many times followed up by well executed drop shots while the pair matched each other with immaculate cross court shots as Antczak won the third game 11-9.
Mekdeci trailed 2-1.

Mekdeci took the fourth game 12-10 to take the match into a deciding fifth stanza.

The pumped up Antczak raced to a big lead and Mekdeci, who seemed exhausted from playing five games, was beaten 11-2.

The very fit Nicolette Fernandes, who celebrated her 40th birthday last month, demonstrated why she has six Caribbean tittles with excellent use of the Court and an array of powerful backhand drives against the much younger Larrissa Wiltshire.

Larrissa, despite not getting too many points, displayed some skilful shots which had Fernandes applauding her less experienced opponent for successful points.

The eventual scores of 11-4, 11-6, 11-2 to Fernandes was not a true indication of how well Larrissa played.

Playing against Guyana’s most acclaimed female Squash player, even at Fernandes’ age, would have been a learning experience for the youngest sibling of three talented Squash players and the daughter of former Southern Caribbean Champion, Garfield Wiltshire.

Other results:
Women’s Veterans: Michelle Low beat Tian Edwards 11-3, 11-8, 11-6.

Women’s National Draw: Mary Fung-a-Fat beat Ashley De Groot 11-7, 11-6, 11-7; Taylor Fernandes-Henry beat Akeila Wiltshire 12-10, 11-5, 4-11, 11-6; Avery Arjoon beat Emily Fung-a-Fat 11-2,11-2, 11-1.

Men’s National draw: Deje Dias beat Regan Pollard 13-11, 11-8, 11-2; Alex Arjoon beat Jerazeno Bell 11-7, 11-3, 11-6; Louis Da Silva beat Peter De Groot 11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7.

Jason Ray Khalil beat Nicholas Verwey 11-6, 11-2, 11-3; Chad De Abreu beat Miguel Wong 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-3; Demetrius De Abreu beat Avinash Oditt 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7; Samuel Ince-Carvalhal beat Steven Xavier 11-6,11-4, 11-6; Mohryan Baksh beat Jason Van Dijk 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-3; Josh Verwey beat Dane Pereira 10-12, 11-5; Shomari Wiltshire beat Michael Alphonso 10-12, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9; Lee Fung-a-Fat beat Richard Rodrigues 10-12, 11-3,11-2, 11-3.

Men’s Veteran Over 50: Brian Edwards beat Lloyd Fung-a-Fat 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5.