Defending champion Shakeem Nurse is expected to move into the quarter-finals of the Barbados Road Tennis Open when he faces talented Azarie Clarke in tonight’s feature game which concludes the final round of 16 matches at Gall Hill, St. John.
A guaranteed pay day of $2 000 and a spot in the coveted quarter-finals is a familiar trip which Nurse has taken three times in the four-year history of the BRTO.
Clarke’s best journey occurred last year when he carried Nurse to three games before losing the round of 16 match at Diamond Corner, St. Peter.
The road tennis fraternity held its breath on that night when the flamboyant Clarke held Nurse 19-11 in the opening set.
After Nurse showed his greatness by clawing back to take the opening game, he dropped the second game and then clinched the decider to advance to the quarter-finals and eventually won the crown on his third foray into the final.
Both Nurse and Clarke are solid defenders but Nurse has the advantage in possessing powerful finishing shots.
Clarke tends to spoil his play when he ventures into an attacking mode and facing an equally fit and competent defensive opponent, he would do well to take a game from a determined Nurse in that 9:30 p.m. contest.
The other three men’s matches should be close battles but three of the competitors hold slight and possibly winning edges.
Davien “Force Ripe” Taylor is struggling with an injury which could affect his game and stop him from putting out schoolteacher Dwaine Hope.
The six-foot-four-inch Tyrease Holder has shown great form and growth in his road tennis, which should earn him a win over the resolute Adrian Scott.
Darius “Baracus” Gaskin takes on Dwayne Lynch in the penultimate clash with Gaskin holding a slight edge over former national footballer and Division One cricketer Lynch.
The action opens with four women’s matches which are expected to be one-sided affairs.
Gale-Anne Scott is favoured to beat Sharon Small in the six o’clock game with former Barbados basketball player Maria “Flowers” Cumberbatch pipped to bloom fully against Andisha Howell out of the Pinelands camp.
Former queen Kim Holder should easily dispose of veteran Margo Lorde while the 2024 losing finalist Maudlyn Blunt is expected to defeat
Juliet Worrell.
While the men won $1 000 for entering the round of 16, those moving to the quarter-finals earn $2 000. The women did not earn any money for making the round of 16 but they now collect $2 000 for making the quarter-finals. (KB)
