T&T's Chloe Fraser, Malik Gopaul and Jinai Samuel stayed on course to secure medals in their respective girls’ and boys’ singles competitions when they advanced in their main draw of the Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation Youth Championships in Barbados on Thursday.
Having topped her Group Four round-robin series on Wednesday at the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in Wildey, Bridgetown, the France-based Fraser dispatched Jamaican Tsenaye Lewis 11-6, 11-1, 11-3, 11-4 in their best-of-seven sets round-of-16 clash and meets Puerto Rican Kristal Melendez for a spot in the semifinals after the latter defeated Cuban Adrianna Bode 11-9, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5.
However, fellow T&T player Jordan Thong, who was the runner-up in Group Eight with two wins from her three matches after beating St Vincent and the Grenadines Jessica McCarter 11-5, 11-4, 11-3 was stopped in her medal hunt by Puerto Rican Edmarie Leon 4-11, 3-11, 12-10, 3-11, 3-11.
However, in Group Seven, Lyllana Boodhan was defeated by the Dominican Republic’s Emily Dominguez 10-12, 7-11, 6-11 and Cuban Emily Dominguez 3-11, 2-11, 5-11, while in Group Two, T&T’s Jerisse Elder went under to Antigua and Barbuda’s Stuti Kashyap 4-11, 5-11, 5-11 and Cuban Adrianna Bode 3-11, 2-11, 5-11.
In the Under-19 Boys competition round-of-32, Gopaul, who was unbeaten in his round-robin Group Seven series, battled from 1-2 down in sets to beat Jamaican Brian Blake 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-8.
However, Josiah Joseph fought hard before falling to Joel Lamm of Jamaica. 13-11, 11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-4 in the last 32, while countryman Ameer Mohammed was beaten by Puerto Rico's Chrisnomar Aviles 7-11, 4-11, 3-11, 9-11 after he won his second match in Group Two versus Guyana’s Colin Wong. 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 13-11.
<Samuel wins, Radge Coomar exits U-15 girls singles>
Local players Samuel and Zuri Radge Coomar had mixed outcomes in their Girls Under-15 Singles main draw matches.
This after Samuel won against Mystique Sharpe 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 in the round of 16, while Radge Coomar was beaten by St Lucian Shatal Charles 3-11, 1-11, 3-11.
Earlier on in the day, in Group Two, Samuel recovered from her first-day loss to Naymaris Hernandez Martinez 1-11, 1-11, 4-11 with a 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10 victory over Jamaican Christina Royes.
Meanwhile, Radge Coomar rallied past Jakaila Hoyte of Barbados 9-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-7 to secure the runner-up spot in Group Five after she was humbled by Guyana’s Jasmine Billingy, the group winner, 4-11, 5-11, 4-11, in her first match on Wednesday.
The other T&T girls in the round-robin phase, Elizabeth Rajah was outclassed by St Lucian Charles 6-11, 8-11, 6-11 in Group Six, and Jamaica’s Keeara Whyte 3-11, 5-11, 7-11, while in Group Four, Puerto Rican Aurora Bonome bettered T&T’s Jannah Mohammed 11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7, with the latter going under to Guyana’s Akira Watson 11-13, 4-11, 4-11 as well.
<Under-15 boys make last-16 exit>
The local trio of Aiden Noel, his brother Aaron Noel, and Daniel Bhim all made their exits in the Round of 16.
This was after Aiden Noel beat Barbadian Naje Phillips 11-2, 11-8, 11-2 in the Round of 32 but was then beaten by Jamaican Gmarco Smith 7-11, 7-11, 6-11, while Aaron Noel was edged out by Jamaican Logan Royes 9-11, 11-13, 11-13, and Bhim bowed out to Sergio Perez of Puerto Rico 11-7, 3-11, 6-11, 10-12.
In the Under-15 Boys round-robin group phase, Aaron Noel rallied past Barbadian Najae Phillips 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 in Group Nine and followed up with an 11-1, 11-7, 11-4 defeat of St Vincent and The Grenadines’ Zaid Martin.
Daniel Bhim tasted defeat in his Group Six opener versus Jamaican Logan Royer. 11-4, 2-11, 7-11, 5-11 but rebounded to beat Barbadian Caleb Trotman 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 for a second-round spot, while Aiden Noel was no match for Puerto Rican Owen Shemesh, losing 5-11, 3-11, 10-12 in Group Three, but recovered nicely to oust Barbadian Nyal Bushell. 11-6, 11-7, 11-5
The other T&T Under-15 boys player Mateo Mollineau did not get out of his group, losing to Barbadian Maleeq Aimey 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-13, 9-11 and Jamaican Gmarco Smith 8-11, 8-11, 5-11 in Group Seven.
