The going continues to get tough on the Gold Coast. Barbados fared a bit better at the 21st Commonwealth Games yesterday after squash player Meagan Best advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s singles plate and Alex Sobers delivered yet another personal best in the pool in Queensland, Australia.
Playing in the consolation rounds, the teenaged Best won both of her encounters in straight games following a tough defeat in the round of 32 a day earlier.
Best first took out Trinidadian Charlotte Knaggs 11-2, 11-4, 11-5 before getting the better of Guyanese rival Mary Fung-A-Fat 11-3, 11-9, 11-9.
Multinational men’s champ Shawn Simpson had a similarly easy time in the consolation rounds as well after beating Neville Sorrentino in three straight games again.
The courts weren’t as kind to Best’s schoolmate Amanda Haywood, who lost 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-2 to Mihiliya Methsarani of Sri Lanka.
Over at the Optus Aquatic Centre, Sobers set a new personal best of one minute, 51.87 seconds in the men’s 200 metres freestyle.
But the Bajan Olympic swimmer didn’t make it out of the opening rounds after finishing seventh in Heat 3.
He’s slated to contest Heat 4 of the men’s 100 metres freestyle today.
Barbados’ men’s table tennis squad lost their second Group 3 match in as many days when they dropped a heart-breaking 3-2 result to Mauritius.
The encounter came down to the last match between Bajan Marcus Smith and Brian Chan Yook Fo, who pulled out a series-deciding 11-3, 11-4, 6-11, 11-5 victory.
Mark Dowell initially gave Barbados the lead with a come from behind 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8 win over Akhilen Yogarajah before Fo levelled the scores by edging Tyrese Knight 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6.
Yogarajah then paired with Rhikesh Taucoory to give Mauritius a 2-1 lead via a 11-1, 11-7, 12-10 victory against Smith and Dowell.
But Knight brought the scores level again by getting the better of Taucoory 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7.
The Bajan Gems didn’t have a sparkling display either after falling in a 79-24 rout against netball’s top-ranked hosts Australia.
Goal shooter Shonica Wharton shot 12 of 17 from the floor, seasoned veteran Latonia Blackman converted eight of ten and Nikita Payne scored all but one of her five attempts.
But Payne and Croney combined for 12 turnovers in a lopsided contest that Australia never trailed.
The Gems continue play in Pool A today against Fiji after Simpson takes the court for his plate quarter-final with St Vincent’s Jason Doyle.
Pan Am and Caribbean Junior road race gold medallist Amber Joseph is set to contest the women’s 25km point finals today after gifted boxer Kimberly Gittens opens her campaign with a women’s 60kg round of 16 bout against India’s Sarita Devi. (JM)
