Five sets of thrilling court action concluded with Meagan Best emerging the Under-19 female champion during the Sagicor General Junior National Squash Championships at the Barbados Squash Club on Sunday.
During the longest match of the day, she pulled out all her stops, while playing her card of consistency to defeat Amanda Haywood 11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-1.
And Best of The St Michael School was somewhat prepared for her schoolmate since she recently faced her on court.
“Having played her like two weeks ago I was coming in a little confident. Obviously not thinking it would be a walkover but I did win before,” Best told NATIONSPORT.
“The strategy was to try to play my best because that game before wasn’t my best day. So I just wanted to come here, build the length and when I get a good lead try and execute.”
Having succeeded at some tricky shots early in the first set, she managed to limit Haywood’s scoring to capture the first hands down.
However, Haywood certainly came alive in the second set to draw level. Somehow she went into the third set a bit unsettled, making the majority of errors on her own while Best outscored her with the help of her precision and speed, which allowed her to seal the deal with her popular drop shot.
Despite the setback, Haywood, who played her final junior match on Sunday, once again made a comeback and got away to tie the match at 2-2.
But the thought of the decider was against her while Best played the right shots and held on, though exhausted to ensure she came out on top.
“I know Meagan plays like incredible squash and she just came off a high in December and I just started training in the last two months since I had an injury,” Haywood said.
“I was just not trying to have any pressure and keep her behind to play my shot. When you know you’re doing something right you try not to change it, but sometimes you don’t know what happens and the second you lose yourself is the second she gets something off me and just keeps climbing. It’s unfortunate but it’s all in the name of the game.”
Khamal Cumberbatch captured the Under-19 Boys’ final when he defeated Chemar Burnham in straight sets 11-2, 11-2 and 11-5.
Cumberbatch played some outstanding shots, on court which allowed his opponent to make the mistakes he needed to take an easy win.
Young Sumairaa Suleman lost to an older and more mature player, Darien Benn, in the Under-15 Open 11-3, 11-9, 11-4.
Aidan Parris also defeated Nathan King in the Under-13 final 11-3, 11-4, 11-2. (RG)
