RHEA KHAN cruised into the final of the National Squash Championship Thursday night at the Queen’s Park Cricket Club Indoor Racquet Centre.
After dropping just six points in disposing of national Under-17 champion Mya Francois in the quarter-finals when the tournament served off the night before, the 18-time champ whipped former top junior Faith Gillezeau 11-4, 1-11, 11-8. 11-7.
Marie Claire Barcant, who defeated Khan to capture her first title in this prestigious competition last year, did not play a match over the first two nights and was scheduled to begin her campaign last night.
The top seed was up against national Under-15 champ Josie Thong in one quarter-final.
The quarter-final winners will return to play the second semi-final at 4 p.m. today and the champ will be crowned at 5.30 p.m. tomorrow.
After receiving byes in the first round the night before, the top two seeds in the men’s draw began their campaign in tremendous fashion Thursday night.
United States-based two-time defending champ Chayse McQuan overwhelmed Sanjiv Mungal 11-1, 11-2, 11-4, while second-seeded ten-time champ Colin Ramasra crushed Kyle Mowser 11-2. 11-1, 11-2.
Paul Jerome De Verteuil, Julian Chin, Brandon de Montrichard and Thong’s brother Seth also advanced to last night’s quarters without dropping a set, following first-round byes.
Third-seeded former champ De Verteuil took down Daren Hernandez 11-2, 11-7, 11-2, while De Montrichard, runner-up five years ago, brushed aside former top junior Joshua Poon 11-4, 11-7. 11-4.
Last year’s bronze-medallist Chin was an 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 winner over Colin Mowser, while former Caribbean Under-11 and 13 champ Thong dismissed Leonel Sorillo 11-3. 11-6, 11-7.
And in the other round of 16 matches, Zachary Loquan defeated Varune Mungal and Joel Augustine edged former Over-40 champ Peter Pirtheesingh 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 4-11, 11-6.
The first semi is scheduled at 6.30 p.m. today, the same time as the tomorrow’s title match.
