The local quartet of Aaron Wilson, Derron Douglas, Priyanka Khellawan, and Chloe Fraser were all beaten in their respective men's and women's singles round-of-16 matches as this country's quest for a first medal continued at the 63rd Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation Senior Championship in Guyana, Wednesday.
Playing at the National Gymnasium in Georgetown, in the morning session, 24-year-old Wilson stormed into the men's singles round-of-16 after he spanked St Lucian Dawitt 11-6, 11-1, 11-4, 11-6 in their last-32 match-up, but with a quarterfinal spot at stake, he was stopped in his tracks by Barbadian Tyrese Knight.
The 19-year-old Douglas had a tougher start to the main draw as he was extended by Barbadian Marcus Smith, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7, in their round-of-32 clash, before he was beaten by Puerto Rican Oscar Birriel in the last-16.
On Monday in the round-robin stage, Wilson of Carenage Blasters came up short in his opening match in Group Three against Cuban Jorge Campos, 11-9, 7-11, 2-11, 11-8, 9-11, but rebounded to defeat Guyana’s Paul David, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9, to secure the second spot in the three-player pool and a main draw knockout appearance after Campos also defeated David 12-10, 11-2, 11-4.
USA-based Douglas, who attends Texas Wesleyan University, had a tough Group Six draw and was beaten by Cuban Adrian Perez, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 4-11 and but came back in the afternoon session to stun former champion, Trevor Farley of Barbados, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6, to end with a 1-1 pool record and secure his passage to the main draw. Perez topped the pool at 2-0 after he beat Farley, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8, and 11-8, in the other match.
However, in Group Four, 33-year-old Yuvraaj Dookram, who plays locally for Queens’ Park Cricket Club, suffered a 9-11, 6-11, 7-11 loss to Puerto Rico before he was also defeated by Guyana’s Jonathan Van Lange, 9-11, 7-11, 16-18.
Khellawan, Fraser show promise
The teenage duo of Khellawan and Fraser had byes into the round-of-16 in the women's draw but could not pull off upsets to reach the quarterfinals.
Khellawan, 17, still managed to put up a spirited display in her loss to Dominican Republic's Shary Munoz, 11-9, 3-11, 14-12, 6-11, 4-11, 2-11.
This after Khellawan, who plays locally for Powergen was beaten by Puerto Rican Daniely Rios, 1-11, 1-11, 3-11, in her Group Three opener on Monday, but rebounded to shock Guyana’s Priscilla Greaves, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, to snatch the other qualification spot behind Rios who defeated Greaves, 11-3, 11-5, 11-8, in the opening match in the three-player pool.
Meanwhile, France-based 14-year-old Fraser was swept aside by Cuban, Daniela Fonseca Carrazana 7-11, 6-11, 5-11, 6-11 in her round-of-16 clash.
Fraser reached the main draw when she battled past St Lucian Zarianne Anthony, 11-5, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, to secure the all-important runner-up spot in Group Four after she was beaten by Cuban Idaly Lovet, 5-11, 11-13, 2-11, in her opening match. Lovet also beat Anthony, 11-2, 11-4, and 11-6.
Thursday, the Teams competition serves with the local women facing Cuba from 11 am in Group Two before the Cubans meet Dominican Republic at 6 pm while T&T and Dominican Republic close out round-robin play from 3 pm Friday.
The trio of Puerto Rico, Guyana, and Barbados are in Group One of the women's competition at the end of which the top two teams in each group will advance to the main draw semifinals, while the third-placed teams will contest the fifth place playoff.
In the nine-team men's competition, T&T battles Dominican Republic from 4 pm after the latter opens up against St Lucia in the curtain raisers from 9 am while T&T and St Lucia complete the round-robin schedule Friday from 10 am.
Group One comprises, Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Haiti while Cuba, Guyana, and Suriname are in Group Two.
At the end of the three men's round-robin groups, the top two teams in each group along with the two best third-placed finishers will contest the quarterfinals.
Women's Doubles:
1 Daniela Fonseca Carrazana/Idalys Lovet (Cuba)
2 Melanie Diaz/Daniely Rios (Puerto Rico)
3 Shary Munoz/ Yasiris Ortiz (Dom Rep) & Brianna Burgos/Kristal Melendez (Puerto Rico)
Men's Doubles:
1 Andy Pereira/Jorge Campos (Cuba)
2 Angel Naranjo/Oscar Birriel (Puerto Rico)
3 Brian Afanador/Daniel Gonzalez (Puerto Rico) & Livan Martinez/Adrian Perez (Cuba)
Mixed Doubles:
1 Daniel Gonzales/Melanie Diaz (Puerto Rico)
2 Jorge Campos/Daniel Fonseca Carrazana (Cuba)
3 Angel Naranjo/Daniely Rios (Puerto Rico) & Samuel Galvez/Eva Britto (Dom Rep)