The inaugural Jamaica Invitational Squash Tournament concluded with thrilling matches at the Liguanea Club last Saturday, as Bruce Burrowes and Sanjana Nallapati claimed the men’s and women’s titles, respectively. The four-day tournament attracted top talent, including players from Guyana, the Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Burrowes, seeded second, showcased his dominance in the men’s final against top seed Ashante Smith. Smith, who endured a grueling five-set semi-final against Jonathan Hope of the Bahamas the previous night, struggled to match Burrowes’ power and precision.

The final saw Burrowes employ a well-executed game plan, marked by powerful strokes and energy efficiency. He claimed the first set 11-1, with a particularly intense rally at 5-0 setting the tone for the match. The second and third sets were more competitive, with scores tied at 3-3 in both, but Burrowes’ superior fitness and strategy ultimately saw him pull away, winning 11-5 and 11-4 to secure the match in straight sets.

“It’s always nice to be the first of anything, so to be the inaugural winner of the inaugural championship, that’s always pretty fun to say,” said a jubilant Burrowes. “I just went out there, I had a game plan, I stuck to it, and the game plan worked. Power, fitness, and being energy-efficient were key. I’m very happy.”

Smith finished second, while Stephan Morrison took fourth place by walkover, as Jonathan Hope was unable to contest the third-place playoff. Guyana’s Jerazeno Bell and Trinidad and Tobago’s Leonel Sorrillo rounded out the top six.

In the women’s division, Sanjana Nallapati continued her unbeaten run in the tournament to claim the title. Nallapati defeated an improved Elle Wilson in four sets, with scores of 11-3, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5.

“I have been working very hard towards this, especially playing in this tournament against everyone else,” said Nallapati. “There were some pretty good matches out there. Playing against Elle after a long time was nice; she’s improved quite a bit. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play Mehar [Trahan], which is usually a battle between us, but I’m happy with how things turned out.”

Mehar Trahan, the number one seed, was forced to withdraw on the final day due to illness, finishing third in the round-robin format behind runner-up Tracey Binnie.

Karen Anderson, President of Jamaica Squash, expressed her satisfaction with the tournament’s success. “I think it worked very well. It’s the first year for the event, so obviously there are some growing pains, but we are happy with the turnout and the level of play. We’re excited to see what the future holds as we grow this event.”

The tournament marked a promising start for the Jamaica Invitational, setting a strong foundation for future editions and providing a showcase for regional squash talent.