 Dykan Pratt on the Right IslandStats.com
Dylan Pratt (BERMUDA) 3 Khamal Cumberbatch (BARBADOS) 0
A David vs. Goliath affair as the #1 seed Pratt, hardly an imposing figure on the court, had 2 years and a couple of inches on Cumberbatch, who at 10 years old has a bright junior CASA future.
Pratt played a very strong tactical match and used his solid strokes to play good defense when pressured and when given time, took the middle of the court and attacked. Cumberbatch, spurred on a by a boisterous Barbadian crowd never gave up and although overly aggressive at times represented himself and his country very well in the first of what should be many CASA finals. In the end Pratt came away with a straight sets victory 11-9, 11-3, 11-8.
Boy’s Under 17 Final
Nyron Joseph (GUYANA) 3 D’Vario Thompson (BERMUDA) 2
The event continued to impress all weekend with a deep and talented field being whittled down to Joseph and Thompson, who gave the fans one last 5 setter to sink their teeth into. Thompson, who plays for Wycliffe College in England started very positively and used his classic racquet skills to move across the mixing volley drives, kills and drops and even slotting a few dead nicks for good measure in the first two games.
However, the Guyanese player once again got stronger as the match wore on and came back from his second straight 2-game deficit by becoming a backboard for everything Thompson could throw at him – most rallies ending in a frustrated tin by the Bermudian after 3 or 4 uncanny gets by Joseph.
By this point, fatigue and mental torment had set in for the #1 seed as the Guyanese crowd carried Joseph to his second title in the row in just over 60 minutes of entertaining squash winning 9-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8.
Boy’s Under 19 Final
Noah Browne (BERMUDA) 3 Kevin Hannaway (ST. VINCENT) 1
By the time the Boys Under 19’s took the stage, we were already an hour behind schedule and the gallery was overflowing both physically and emotionally. This was a highly anticipated match between the racquet skills and shot making of Browne versus the athleticism and determination of Hannaway. The first game saw Hannaway jump out to a 6-0 lead before Browne new what had hit him, pouncing on every loose return and ill-advised drop shot like a puma, hitting quick cross court and straight kills to stun the 6 foot 2 Bermudian.
Browne started to steady the ship and a few racquet errors by Hannaway extended the game, but still gave the St. Vincent player a convincing 11-6 win and the momentum going forward. However, a new Browne came out in the second game, one who was much more diligent in trying to contain the speed of Hannaway by hitting deeper and tighter length, allowing his trademark volley drop and hold and flick from the front to become effective, as Hannaway was now being fully stretched from corner to corner. Some nervous errors from Browne brought him from 9-6 up to 9-9 before he played two of his best rallies of the match, putting his opponent on a string and finishing with two reflex volley kills off Hannaway cross courts from the front.
The Bermudian, who will attend Amherst College in the fall continued to play the big points well in the 3rd game as he maintained a 1-2 point lead all the way up to the business end of the game in which he once again played his best points. By this time, Hannaway had done the lion share of the work and it was starting to show as his legs were taken out of him by some great holds from the front of the court by Browne. Hannaway, who was a wonderful sportsman and class act throughout the match, could not mount a last minute charge, giving the Bermudian the biggest win of his career and the 2012 BU19 CASA title winning 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-3.
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