E-Edition Chung, Edwards lead T&T women to fourth title Text Size: The vastly experienced duo of France-based Rheann Chung and ten-time national champion Aleena Edwards combined to secure T&T the women’s team title, 3-1 over Guyana on Wednesday’s second night of the 55th Caribbean Table-Tennis Federation Championship in Gros Islet, St Lucia. It was the fourth triumph by a women’s national team for T&T after previous wins on home soil in 2004, four years later in Jamaica and 2009 in French Guiana. A disappointing fourth last time out, T&T had already surpassed its performance from last year in Guyana, however the quartet of Chung, Edwards, Linda Partap-Boodhan and 11-year-old Caribbean Under-13 champion, Jasher De Gannes wanted more. But things did not start off so well for T&T as Partap-Boodhan went under to Trenace Lowe 6-11, 9-11, 9-11 in the opening match of the best-of-five decider. That was the last taste of succes for the Guyanese as Chung outclassed Chelsea Edghill 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 and Lowe 11-2, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7 in her two matches while Edwards, battled past Natalie Cummings in the third contest, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9. Earlier on in the semifinals, the local women survived a fierce battle with bitter rival Dominican Republic, before prevailing 3-2 after trailing 1-2. Once again, it was Chung who got two victories and Edwards, the other in the fifth and deciding match Chung, a five-time Caribbean singles champ started with an 11-8, 13-11, 11-1 triumph over Lineth Vila, but Dominican Republic stormed back for a 2-1 lead when Eva Britto came from behind to beat Edwards, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 and Yasiris stopped Partap-Boodhan 11-3, 11-5, 11-8. However, faced with defeat Chung got T&T back on level terms at 2-2 after a convincing 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 win against Britto before Edwards, used all of her years of experience in beating Vila, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 to seal T&T’s gold medal contest spot. Guyana reached the title match after it brushed aside Barbados 3-0 with victories from Lowe, Cummings and Akeisha Nedd, in the other semifinal. Lowe battled past Angela Reid 12-10, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7; Cummings rallied past Sherrice Felix 11-3, 11-2, 5-11, 11-6 and Nedd outlasted Anthonette Riley 10-12, 11-6, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9. On Tuesday night, in their final Group Two round-robin encounter with St Lucia, the local women again won 3-0 with Edwards, Chung and Partap-Boodhan the winners. Edwards punished Charmaine Polius 11-5, 11-1, 11-3; Chung slammed Dawn Charles 11-7, 11-3, 11-2 and Partap-Boodhan humbled Shermain Blasse 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 as T&T topped the four-team pool with six points, two ahead of Barbados, the other semifinal qualifiers. The Barbadians swept past St Vincent and The Grenadines, 3-0 in their final match as well to add to its 3-0 thrashing of St Lucia which was interrupted by a 0-0 loss at the hands of T&T. In Group One, Guyana followed up its thrilling 3-2 defeat of Dominican Republic by trouncing winless Guadeloupe 3-0 to end as group winners with six points while Dominican Republic, which rebounded with a 3-0 blanking of Martinique was second with five points. The tournament continues today with doubles and Under-21 division competition. Dominican Republic stop T&T men in final T&T could not complete the team sweep as the Dominican Republic defeated the local squad of France-based Dexter St Louis, 62-year-old Canada-based national champion David Mahabir and Humphreys brothers, Curtis and Alric, 3-2 in an exciting contest to end the night. Dexter St Louis won both his matches, but T&T, which was seeking a third team title after last year and in 2009 on home soil still suffered a 2-3 loss to top ranked Dominican Republic, with top rated local player Curtis Humphreys going under to Emil Santos 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 6-11 in the fifth and deciding match. Humphreys was also beaten in the opening match in the best-of-five series, 4-11, 6-11, 5-11 by Juan Vila before St Louis got his team level at 1-1 via his 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 beating of Santos. The see-saw battle swung back in Dominican Republic favour when Samuel Galvez stopped Canada-based 62-year-old T&T national champion, David Mahabir 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5 only for St Louis to outlast Vila 9-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-9, 11-6 to set up the fifth and deciding contest in which Santos defeated Humphreys. In the semifinals played earlier on the night, T&T got the better of Barbados 3-0 thanks to Curtis’ 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 11-8 win against Trevor Farley; St Louis’ defeat of Kevin Farley 11-9, 11-3, 7-11, 11-3 and Mahabir’s scolding of Mark Dowell, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4. Dominican Republic also had a straight forward semifinal win over Guadeloupe with Juan Vila beating Gregory Cuirassier 11-2, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4; Emil Santos over Arnaud La Bique 11-8, 11-3, 11-3 and Simon Tomlinson powering past Tryvonn Powlett 11-7, 11-9, 11-7. The duo of Barbados and Guadeloupe advanced to the last four after beating St Lucia and French Guiana, by similar 3-0 scorelines in their quarterfinals matches contested in yesterday’s morning session. Both Dominican Republic and T&T, the top two ranked teams in the men’s competition were handed byes to the semifinal round after securing top spot in their three-team pools with 2-0 records. On Tuesday in the group staged, Dominican Republic whipped French Guiana and Aruba, both by 3-0 margins in Group One while defending champions T&T also had 3-0 victories against Guyana and St Lucia, respectively in Group Two. Sport Previous Article Mohammed, Lee Foon for pairs finals in ScotlandNext Article Carter hunts elusive World Jr swim medal
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 05:15:50 +0000
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