A large crowd turned out to witness the highly anticipated match between top seed Mark ‘Venom’ Griffith and Kirt ‘Bruce Lee’ Alleyne when the 2024 Barbados Road Tennis Open continued on Saturday night.
Playing at the Gall Hill, St John, court Alleyne had been vocal about his desire to defeat Griffith weeks before the match up, and the match lived up to the hype with the showmanship of Alleyne on display for all to see as their players’ names were called and they took to the court.
The tournament’s number one seed Griffith, known for his agility and precision, dominated the court from the start, returning Alleyne’s shots with ease. Despite Alleyne’s attempts to surprise Griffith with different shots, the top seed remained composed and controlled the match.
Griffith’s dominance was on full display in the first set, as his ‘venom’ took any fight out of Alleyne’s game and delivered a ‘sow’ 21-6. Alleyne, who is ranked just inside the top 50, managed to win a few more points in the second set, but Griffith’s skill and precision were too much to handle. The match ended with a 21-6, 21-10 victory for Griffith.
After the match, Griffith, who had been quiet during the build up, expressed his satisfaction with his performance and dismissed Alleyne’s pre-match bravado. “I heard what he was saying, but I showed him.”
Another one of the highlights of the evening was the match between Antonio ‘Lil Man’ Daniel and Dwaine Hope. Daniel’s powerful forehand passing shots captivated the crowd, but Hope put up a strong fight. Despite Hope’s efforts, Daniel’s firepower proved too much, and he ultimately won 21-19, 21-14.
Davien ‘Force Ripe’ Taylor displayed a fiery performance against Antonio Yearwood. Taylor’s aggression was evident in the opening set, but Yearwood managed to stay competitive and forced a third set. However, Taylor’s dominance prevailed, and he secured a 21-17, 21-23, 21-17 victory.
The match between Curtis Jones and Shawn Spencer was a closely contested battle. Jones, a former number 4 player, faced a tough challenge from Spencer. Despite Spencer’s best efforts, Jones prevailed 17-21, 21-16, 21-19.
In the women’s division, Sheldene Walrond, a highly ranked player, easily defeated Asabi Downey 21-11, 21-11.
Sheldene Walrond gets tall to crack this forehand winner.
Gail-Ann Edwards also secured a victory, defeating Kezia Blunt 21-7, 21-16. Maria Cumberbatch made a comeback from a set down to defeat Angela Burrowes 16-21, 21-6, 21-13, while Marvalene Neblett won over Margo Lorde 21-16, 21-15. (CG)
Gail-Ann Edwards made light work of Kezia Blunt.
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