De Boulet defeats multiple TT champ Blake

CHEQUEDA De Boulet got past multiple senior national women’s champion Nekeisha Blake in the semifinals of the TT Badminton Association Senior National Badminton tournament at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua, on Friday.

De Boulet, now 18, beat the experienced Blake 21-16, 21-19 to book a place in the final which was scheduled to take place yesterday. Rhea Khan also progressed to the final prevailing in a three-set thriller 21-18, 19-21, 21-17 over Sandhya Cassie.

In the men’s singles semifinals unseeded Will Lee and fourth seeded Alistair Espinoza advanced to the finals with straight set victories. Lee defeated Sheraz Nabbie 21-9, 21-15 and Espinoza advanced after two competitive sets against Jade Allman 21-19, 21-18.

Ronald Clarke and Andre Lewis met the pair of Sunil Ramadhar and Vijai Samnarine in the men’s doubles Over-45 finals yesterday. On Friday, Clarke and Lewis outlasted Kario Bernard and McKenzie Joseph 21-17, 21-7 and Ramadhar and Samnarine prevailed over Myodeen Asgarali and Chamanlal Ramdath 21-11, 21-9.

In the doubles Over-35 semifinals, Clarke and Lewis got past Christopher Joachim and Cedric Urquhart 21-14, 21-17 and the duo of Navin Gayapersad and Derek Singh booked a place in the final with a 21-16, 21-9 win over Khan and Alan Umraw.

In mixed doubles semifinal action, the top ranked pair of Nathaniel Khillawan and De Boulet were comfortable winners over the third ranked pair of Gayapersad and Khan 21-17, 21-10. The unseeded pair of Allman and Blake got past the fourth seeded duo of Lee and Johannah Walker 21-17, 21-17.

De Boulet and Walker teamed up to breeze past Faith Mollah and Jada Smith 21-9, 21-7 in the women’s doubles semifinals and it was an easy win for Sandhya Cassie and Ananda Ramsingh, as the pair won 21-4, 21-6 over Simone George and Meera Mahabir.

Espinoza and Lee advanced to another final when the pair joined forces to beat Leon Cassie and Richard Ramrattan 21-12, 21-7 in the men’s doubles. They faced Allman and Vance Juteram in the final after the pair defeated Gayapersad and Umraw 21-12, 21-12.