Defending women’s champion Mary Mahfood and number three-seeded male competitor Tahjia Lumley both beamed with delight as they registered contrasting victories in their respective categories at the 45th All Jamaica Senior Squash Championships at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston on Thursday night.
Mahfood wasted no time asserting her dominance, as she took just 11 minutes to dispatch Loya Fong Yee in straight sets with scores of 11/2, 11/1, 11/2. Fong Yee struggled to keep up with Mahfood’s blistering pace and powerful shots and, as such, left little doubt as to who controlled the match.
“So I definitely think I started out just kind of going there and pounding the ball. I always do that in my first games to get the jitters out, but then once I slowed it down and really thought through, I was able to place the ball where I wanted it to go. So she had a harder time getting the ball out of the backcourt, and that’s where I had the advantage," Mahfood explained after her win.
Mahfood, who spent the week adjusting to the warmer climate after traveling from the northeast, felt satisfied with her performance.
“Loya played really well and was returning shots, but overall, it felt really good. It was a fun match,” she noted, adding that her sights are firmly set on defending her title.
Joining Mahfood in the women’s semi-finals are junior champion and number two seed Mehar Trehan, who outpaced Nathlee Boreland in straight sets 12/10, 11/0, 11/3, using her superior fitness to outlast her opponent.
Number three seed Catherine Risden overcame a tough challenge from Kerry-Gay Wright, winning 11/2, 11/8, 11/8, while fourth-seeded Sanjana Nallapati swiftly defeated Noelle Nicolls 11/1, 11/3, 11/4.
In the men’s draw, Lumley battled through the longest match of the tournament so far, as he edged Adam Ardito in a grueling 44-minute clash. Lumley claimed the first game 11/8 after 13 intense minutes, but Ardito fought back to take the second 11/6 in just over 12 minutes. Lumley dug deep to close out the final two games 11/4 and 11/2 to seal his place in the next round.
Lumley admitted it wasn’t his cleanest match but was proud of his resilience.
“The first game was very edgy, I think. A lot of lets—probably 20 minutes in that first game. My energy dipped, and he played much better in the second game. I may have fallen off my game plan just a little bit, but I just told myself, ‘Listen, you have to just keep positive. You have to just keep the game error-free.’ I don’t think I played my best squash, but I thought it was a good match. I’m proud of the way I’m growing and developing, game by game," Lumley shared.