Khalil, De Groot cop Doubles gold for Guyana at Caribbean Squash Championships

In the Women’s Doubles, Guyana secured gold at the ongoing Caribbean Area Squash Association Senior Championships in the Cayman Islands courtesy of top-seeded Ashley Khalil and Ashley De Groot.

The duo justified favouritism for the top prize with a come-from-behind 11-5, 11-9 win over the second-seeded Cayman Islands pair of Jade Pitcarin and Marlene West, who won the opening set 11-4.

Meanwhile, premier squash player Nicolette Fernandes had to settle for second in the women’s singles after defeat to number three seed Barbadian Margot Prow.

Predictions were that the women’s showpiece would have been an all-Guyana battle between Nicolette Fernandes and Khalil, as the latter won gold in 2022.

Still, Prow had other ideas, as she bettered Khalil in the semi-final to set up the gold medal battle with Fernandes.

The Bajan proved superior to her Guyanese counterpart in the Best-of-five final, registering a 3-1 win.

She won the first set 11-7 before Fernandes rallied to take the second 11-9, but Prow, like her compatriot Cumberbatch, showed class at the backend to win the next two games 11-9 and 11-7.

Alex Arjoon reached the furthest for a Guyanese in the men’s singles, losing to Cameron Stafford 3-11, 7-11, 4-11.

Stafford lost the men’s final to Barbadian Khamal Cumberbatch 6-11, 11-3, 9-11, 3-11.

The team segment commenced Wednesday, for which Guyana is the defending champions.