Guyana Women qualify for 2019 Pan-Am Games

Sep 02, 2018 Sports 0

Team Guyana from left, Nicolette Fernandes,Taylor Fernandes, Ashley Khalil, Mary Fung-A-Fat

The Guyana women’s squash team yesterday qualified for the 2019 Pan-Am Games in Peru. Their day did not start off very successful, as they took on a powerful Colombian ladies’ team in the quarter finals of the women’s team event.
Even with a win from Nicolette Fernandes, the ladies couldn’t take one more match to advance to the semi-finals and automatically qualify. However, they were placed in the 5/8 draw for another chance to qualify, with a matchup in the evening session against Brazil.
A win against our neighbors to the south would cash their ticket to Peru. First on was Nicolette Fernandes, who played with precision game was just too much for Thaisia Serfini, ending in a 3-0 win for Guyana.
The next player on was Mary Fung-A-Fat, current national champion who was played one of her best matches of the tournament, and won 3-0 against her Juliana Periera, using a combination of holds and lobs to keep her opponent off balanced.
Taylor Fernandes then followed up the dead rubber in defeating Giovana Viega in straight games, 2-0. (Dead rubbers are 2 best of 3 games) Guyana will now try for its best finish at a Pan-Am Championship as it plays fellow qualifier, Chile for 5th.
The Guyanese men had a different experience, facing a must win match with El Salvador, lost their first two matches to lose out on qualifying for Peru as well. Sunil Seth and Richard Chin, lost their matches three love and three one respectively. They will now face Cayman Islands in the consolation round of the tournament.