– Verwey, Alphonso & Bulkan among second night winners

THE Toucan-Kraft Mac and Cheese Junior skill-level squash tournament served up another night of excellent Squash at the Georgetown Club Squash Courts on Camp Street Wednesday night.
The most keenly contested match was the riveting and energy-sapping encounter between Nicholas Verwey and Louis Da Silva which went to the full five games.

Long rallies ending with well-executed drop shots punctuated the teenage pair’s match.
However, the penultimate and final games saw the two exhausted lads use more lobs and spend more time in the backcourt.
Verwey dominated the slightly taller DaSilva in the opening game to win 11-3.

In the second stanza, DaSilva played with more intensity and his drives; both forehand and backhand, were powerful and accurate as both youngsters engaged in a battle of attrition as DaSilva took the game 7-11 to level the scores 1-all.
The third was fast-paced as DaSilva had Verwey constantly moving around the court with well-positioned drop shots to win 9-11.
At 2-1, Verwey, who initially looked the more tired of the two, had to draw on inner strength since if he wanted to win the match he would have to take the last two games.

The pendulum slowly swung in Verwey’s favour as DaSilva bent with his hands on his knees after each long gruelling rally.
Verwey, soaked in sweat, would take the fourth game 11-7 as a far larger gathering that on the first night urged both players on.
In the final and decisive game, with both boys running out of gas, Verwey dug deep and used his mental fortitude to win 11-6.

Such was the extent of the long and hectic battle on the court that DaSilva collapsed when he reached his support crew which included World Women’s Masters and Caribbean Squash Queen Nicolette Fernandes. He would soon recover.
Michael Alphonso, who has gotten taller and stronger, was clinical in his destruction of Mohryan Baksh to win 11-4, 11-2, 11-4.
Alphonso used several excellent drop shots to easily win the first two games without breaking a sweat.

Such was Alphonso’s dominance that in the final game with the score tied 3-3, he won seven consecutive points before Baksh, on match point, won a point but the game and match was won 11-4.
Ethan Bulkan, who turned 11 last February, outplayed 16-year-old Demetri Lowe 3-1.
The stylish Bulkan, playing with plenty of flair, brought back memories, for those old enough to remember a young Shamari Wiltshire.
Results:
E – White Cheddar
[1] Zoey McDonald def. [3] Kristian Viapree 11-8, 11-3, 11-7
E – White Cheddar
[2] Tehani Munroe def. [5] Maxwell Viapree 11-7, 11-7, 11-4
E – White Cheddar
[6] Rafael Brathwaite def. [4] Ella Fernandes 11-4, 11-4, 11-0
C – Three Cheese
[2] Justin Goberdhan def. [5] Brenno Da Silva 12-10, 8-11, 11-2, 11-3
C – Three Cheese
[4] Emily Fung A Fat def. [7] Tiana Gomes 11-2, 11-2, 11-7
B – Spiral
[2] Blake Edwards def. [3] Jeremy Ten Pow 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-6
C – Three Cheese
[1] Rylee Rodrigues def. [6] Malia Maikoo 11-7, 13-11, 11-9
B – Spiral
[6] Ethan Bulkan def Demetri Lowe 3-1.
B – Spiral
Safirah Sumner def. Richard Rodrigues 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10
D – Thick and Creamy
Egan Bulkan def. Matthew Daby 11-6, 6-11, 11-1, 11-7
The Cheesiest – A
Michael Alphonso def. Mohryan Baksh 11-4, 11-2, 11-4
D – Thick and Creamy
Jacob McDonald def Nijad Bacchus 9-11, 1-11, 11-5, 13-11, 13-11
F – Original
Jonathan Antczak def. Justin Ten Pow 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8
The Cheesiest – A
Nicholas Verwey def. Louis Da Silva 11-3, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6
F – Original
Kirsten Gomes def. Jonathan Antczak 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11
The action was expected to continue last night at the same venue.