DOUBLE DELIGHT!
That’s what road tennis fans are in for tonight, when the semi-finals of the United Insurance Clash Of The Titans Road Tennis Competition are contested at the Wildey Gymnasium.
Barbados’ top four players will meet in two gripping matches after winning their respective quarter-final games on Tuesday.
Julian “Jackson” White, the island’s No. 1 player will lock horns with the dangerous Curtis Jones, while Anthony “Ears” Mitchell and Mark “Venom” Griffith are set to do battle.
White booked his semi-final berth with an easy 21-10, 21-12 win over Emar Edwards, to end the junior’s dream run, while Jones had a much tougher time getting past Shamon Weekes before eventually winning 21-19, 21-17.
In the night’s only match to go the distance, Mitchell was fortunate to survive against Chester “Boy Boy” Brewster, rallying from 17-20 down in the first set to win 22-20, 13-21, 21-16. Griffith also advanced after disposing of David Arendell 21-14, 21-19 in an entertaining match.
White used all of his experience to completely dominate Edwards, who never settled into a rhythm.
The first set was all White and he quickly turned his 8-2 lead into a 20-9 scoreline, before letting Edwards out of the sow by intentionally serving the ball out.
Although putting up a better fight in the second set, Edwards continued to commit several unforced errors, and after trailing 8-11, he tamely folded to a 21-12 defeat.
Brewster will be kicking himself for not taking advantage of a wonderful opportunity to eliminate Mitchell, the No. 2 seed, after wasting three set points in the opening set.
Having battled from 1-7 down after a nervous start, Brewster staged a remarkable comeback to lead 18-17.
And that lead grew to 20-17 after a superbly played backhand down the line which caught his opponent flat-footed was followed by Mitchell’s backhand into the net.
But Brewster wouldn’t win another point, as Mitchell rattled off five straight to close out the set.
Brewster took control of the second set from the get-go, converting his early 8-2 advantage into a mammoth 20-9 lead on his way to coasting to an easy victory.
Behind some solid play and helped on by some poor shot selections from his opponent, Mitchell transformed a close 13-11 score in the third and decisive set into a comfortable six-point lead (18-12).
Brewster cut that lead to three at 16-19, but Mitchell then won the next two points to book his place in the final four.
A change of ball might be to blame for Arendell’s first set collapse, after he had fought back from 3-8 down to lead 13-12.
After the damaged ball had to be changed, Arendell meekly surrendered not only the next six points to Griffith, but also the set.
Some blistering cross court forehand shots by Arendell in the ensuing set helped to give him the early initiative, with Griffith’s backhand into the net stretching the lead to three at 14-11.
Griffith fought back to lock the score at 15, and thoughts of a third set loomed when his failed “injection” (a deep backspin chop) gave Arendell an 18-17 lead. However, he would win the next three points on his way to completing a straight sets victory.
Jones and Weekes then provided a fitting nightcap, treating the large crowd to some spectacular shots and long rallies.
The two were virtually inseparable for the majority of the opening set, until Jones used his serve to good effect to turn a 15-15 score into a 19-16 advantage.
Weekes wasn’t done though, and two brilliant forehand cross-court winners helped to tie the game at 19-19, before his forehand into the net gave Jones the first set.
A similarly close scoreline in the second set was once again broken open by a relentless Jones.
With the game tied at 11-11, he won six of the next eight points to build a 17-13 advantage on his way to wrapping up the contest.
