The highly anticipated BQCS Guyana Masters Squash Tournament began on Thursday evening at the Georgetown Club on Camp Street, and Douglas Beckford, Lydia Fraser and Joe Mekdeci, among others, have recorded wins.
The first match of the night, involving Errol Pilgrim (Bar) battling Douglas Beckford (Jam), was closely contested and went down to five games. The two over-65 players treated spectators to a real treat of experienced play. Both athletes settled in comfortably, but Pilgrim moved ahead to win the first game 11/5.
Beckford came back determined, and despite Pilgrim starting strong again, Beckford worked the court to even scores at 10/10 before pushing for the 12/10 win.
The third game followed a similar pattern, as Beckford again took the win 12/10, before a close fourth that could have gone either way saw Pilgrim come out on top.
The 5th and deciding game saw some fantastic shots, but Pilgrim prevailed to triumph 11/7.
In the lone women’s match of the night, a strong Lydia Fraser (Guy) defeated Tian Edwards (Guy) in three straight sets. Former Junior Squad member Fraser moved easily around the court and dominated the games for a solid 11/2, 11/5, 11/5 win.
The final game of the night was also entertaining, with Marlon White (Bar) taking on David Fernandes (Guy) in a spirited match. A strong Fernandes showed glimpses of brilliance with well-placed shots and timely drops to take the first game, much to the delight of the crowd.
White came back fighting, and fitness prevailed as he stayed ahead for a 3-1 victory, finishing 9/11, 11/5, 11/6, 11/7.
Both men showed great sportsmanship and humour throughout the match, which is at the heart of these Masters’ competitions.
Play continues tomorrow at 5pm and finishes on Saturday with two sessions, at 11am and 4pm respectively.
Scores for the evening
MEN Over-65
Errol Pilgrim defeated Douglas Beckford 11/5, 10/12, 10/12, 11/9, 11/7
Orson Simpson defeated Tony Farnum 11/6, 9/11, 11/3, 11/5
Over 55
Narendra Singh defeated Wayne Alphonso 11/5, 11/3, 11/9
Sanjay Amin defeated Lloyd Fung-A-Fat 4/11, 12/10, 11/6, 11/7
Men Over-45
Joe Mekdeci defeated Duane Burke 11/4, 11/2, 11/6
Mark Sealy defeated Diego Perdomo 11/3, 11/5, 12/10
Marlon White defeated David Fernandes 9/11, 11/5, 11/6, 11/7
Tony Mackenzie defeated Robert Natiello 11/4, 11/3, 11/5
Men Over-35
Regan Pollard defeated Gregory Biddle 11/1, 11/1, 11/0
WOMEN Over-35
Lydia Fraser defeated Tian Edwards 11/2, 11/5, 11/5
