Senior CASA 2007 Results
Kingston, Jamaica

August 11, 2007 

#2 and #4 Seed Upset! 

On the second day of the 16th Senior CASA Championships, play continued with the quarterfinals of the main draw with all four top seeded women securing their space in tomorrow’s semi-finals. Karen Meakins, the #1 seed from Barbados defeated our own Anita Bicknell (#13), 3 games to none, 9/1, 9/0, 9/1. Cheri- Ann Parris, also of Barbados and the #4 seed, beat our own again, Tracy Binnie (#15), 3 games to 1, 9/3, 9/6, 9/3. Rhea Khan, the #3 seed from Trinidad, beat Sherian Slater (#8) of the OECS, 3 games to 1, 7/9, 9/5, 9/4, 9/0. And our own Karen Anderson, the #2 seed, beat Lilliana White (#6) of Barbados, 3 games to none, 9/3, 9/0, 9/0. 

There was more drama in the Men’s draw as the upsets continued from yesterday with the #6 seed, Gavin Cumberbatch of Barbados defeating #2 Nicholas Kyme of Bermuda and Colin Ramasra of Trinidad & Tobago, #7 seed, defeating #4, Wayne Burrowes of Jamaica. The Cumberbatch/Kyme match was all about pace. The match started with both players trying to figure out each other’s game. However, Kyme who plays on the professional circuit, used his pace and deft drops to draw Cumberbatch back and forth on the court and easily won the first game 9/3. However, Cumberbatch reversed his fortunes in the next two games with some amazing retrievals and accurate shot-making and won those games 9/5, 9/7. Those games must have taken their toll on Kyme who as the match came down to a matter of attrition with Cumberbatch winning 9/0 in the fourth. 

In the Burrowes and Ramasra match, Ramasra went up 2 games to love, easily winning the first game, 9/1. The second game was much longer with Burrowes finding his rhythm and used his volleying drop shots to great use but lost the second game 9/7. In the third game however, Burrowes got behind early but gathered himself and to take a lead early, Ramasra’s retrieval skills were on full display as shots the audience thought he wouldn’t get to, he retrieved and played an even better shot. However, Burrowes refused to get flustered and kept the pace up and served for the game three times at 8/5, but Ramasra refused to die. Ramasra came back to 8 all and even served for the match twice but Burrowes, did what he is known for and dug deep and pulled it out 10/9. In the fourth, it seemed as if it was all over for Burrowes too, as Ramasra went up 7/3 before relinquishing that lead and went down 7/9. At the end of that game, Burrowes dropped to his knees in fatigue. In the fifth, Ramasra again took a big lead, 6/1, but could not hold it and once again, Burrowes’ will and determination got him back to 6/6. At one point, Burrowes’ knees seemed to buckle just before he went to serve but he was not going down without a fight. However, Ramasra with youth on his side, pulled out the match 9/6. Both players received a standing ovation at the end of the match. 

Chris Binnie, #3 of Jamaica, easily defeated Charlie SonSon, #8 of OECS. SonSon known for his great racquet skills and effective front court game tried to use his drop shot from the back of the court to off-balance Binnie, but Binnie was prepared everytime for the shot and used his front court game to off-set SonSon. Binnie pounced on those shots and punished SonSon everytime. Binnie also refused to get into a physical match with SonSon and won the first game 9/5. It was more of the same in the second, this time however, SonSon tried to keep the ball deep into the back of the court, which was definitely more effective but SonSon allowed calls from the referee to affect him and lost the second 10/8. The 3rd game started well with both players siding out, but SonSon thought he received another bad call from the referee and gave up the game by just hitting tin on return of serves. Binnie won and earned a place in the Semifinals. 

The final match of the night was between two lefties, Paul Deverteuil of Trinidad and #5 seed, Shawn Simpson of Barbados. This was a very intense and at times, contentious match. Deverteuil competing in his first Senior CASA match in 4 years, has caused quite a stir to date and he seemed determined to continue when he took the first game 9/2. However, Simpson obviously turned his fortunes around and won the second 9/1. Those two games must have been anomalies as the next games were more evenly contested. Both players were using the drop shot effectively but Simpson pulled away 6/0 in the 3rd, but the Trinidadian clawed his way back into match to event the score at 6/6. However, Shawn used all of his 6’5” reach to great advantage and won the third 9/6. The fourth game again was quite intense and the let calls more and more frequent, with both players disagreeing the calls of the referee, but it seemed Devertueil allowed it to bother him most and fell behind 4/7, but he re-grouped by going back to the drop and drive plan and won 9/7. In the fifth, Simpson got behind early, 5/1, but managed to pull back by eliminating the mistakes and took the game 9/6. 

Men’s Consolation 

Name                                                                                      Games            Scores 

2nd Round 

Bruce Bicknell (Jam) d. Alain Mudeen (Cay)                             3/0       9/3, 9/7, 9/5

Robert McDavid (Guy) d. John MacRury (Cay)                        3/1       9/6, 3/9, 9/6, 9/5

Ryan Abraham (T&T) d. James Bentick (OECS)                      3/1       9/0, 3/9, 9/3, 9/6

Julian Chin (Guy) d. Peter Pirtheesignh (T&T)                           3/0       9/6, 9/1, 9/2

Bryant Cumberbatch (Bar) d. Bruce Levy (Jam)                        3/0       9/1, 9/7, 9/7

Josh Pinard (T&T) d. Warren Burrowes (Jam)                          3/1       9/7, 9/5, 7/9, 9/6

Mark Sealy (Bar) d. Dane Schwier (Jam)                                  3/0       9/1, 9/3, 9/1 

Women’s Consolation 

2nd Round 

Gill Binnie (Jam) d. Amber Glasgow (OECS)                            3/0       9/6, 9/1, 9/2

Dingle Spence (Jam) d. Greta Primus (OECS)                          3/0       9/1, 9/0, 9/2

Jennifer Armstrong (Bar) d. Marian Goodall (Cay)                    3/0       9/0, 9/0, 9/5

Stephanie McConnell (Jam) d. Amy Gillezeau (T&T)                 3/1       7/9, 9/0, 9/2, 9/1

Bo Harris (Bar) d. Gen Shim (T&T)                                          3/0       9/2, 9/4, 9/0

Kimberly Farah (T&T) d. Vonnie Roudette (OECS)                 3/0       9/2, 9/1, 9/1 

3rd Round 

Stephanie McConnell (Jam) d. Cheryl Renwick (OECS)           3/0       9/1, 9/0, 9/1

Nadia McCarthy (Bar) d. Gill Binnie (Jam)                                3/0       9/3, 9/4, 9/4

Kimberly Farah (T&T) d. Bo Harris (Bar)                                 3/0       9/0, 9/2, 9/3    

Jennifer Armstrong (Bar) d. Dingle Spance (Jam)                      3/0       9/3, 9/1, 9/3 

Main Draw 

Ladies Quarter Finals 

Karen Anderson (Jam) d. Lilliana White (Bar)                           3/0       9/3, 9/0, 9/0                

Rhea Khan (T&T) d. Sherian Slater (OECS)                            3/1       7/9, 9/5, 9/4, 9/0

Cheri-Ann Parris (Bar) d. Tracy Binnie (Jam)                           3/0       9/3, 9/6, 9/3 

Karen Meakins (Bar) d. Anita Bicknell (Jam)                           3/0       9/1, 9/0, 9/1 

Men’s Quarter Finals 

Gavin Cumberbatch (Bar) d. Nicholas Kyme (Ber)                   3/1       3/9, 9/5, 9/7, 9/0

Colin Ramasra (T&T) d. Wayne Burrowes (Jam)                      3/2       9/1, 9/7, 9/10, 7/9, 9/6

Shawn Simpson (Bar) d. Paul Deverteuil (T&T)                        3/2       2/9, 9/1, 9/6, 7/9, 9/6

Chris Binnie (Jam) d. Charlie SonSon (OECS)                          3/0       9/5, 10/8, 9/1