Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
Wayne Burrowes is congratulated by Anna Dougall after winning the Dougall Flooring Super Series tournament. Burrowes defeated Steve Smith 3-0 officially becoming the nation's number one squash player. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WAYNE BURROWES secured his status as Jamaica's number one squash player by winning the Dougall Flooring Super series in convincing fashion at the Liguanea Club late on Friday evening last week.
The tournament was put on with the specific purpose of assigning official rankings to the islands top 12 men's players. Seeds five through 12 had already been assigned in play before Friday and all that needed to be decided were the top four players. The third and fourth place play-off pitted brothers Bruce and Chris Bicknell against each other.
SIBLING RIVALRY
Younger brother and eight-time national champion Bruce emerged victorious 3-2 in what was a heated and closely contested bout of sibling rivalry with the final score reading 6-9, 6-9, 9-4, 9-1, 9-4 Chris was quicker out of the blocks and shot out to a two-set lead. Bruce eventually steadied himself and clawed his way back into the match at two games all. Chris's weary legs could not do enough to prevent his brother's triumph in the final set as Bruce went on to win and secure the number three seed. In the night's feature event, nine-time national champion Burrowes took on challenger Steve Smith. Smith, in good form after having acquired his first major tournament win at the Carib Cement Constant Spring Open where he beat Burrowes, was hoping to repeat the feat.
However, Burrowes had other ideas and was in a no-nonsense mood. The first set was the only really competitive one and, after Burrowes won it, Smith was never really given a chance to settle.
The second set was no contest as Burrowes blasted his way through without Smith scoring a single point. Smith looked to be settling in the final game but this never really materialised as Burrowes went on to make quick work of the challenger winning 3-0 (9-7, 9-0, 9-2) and claiming the island's top ranking.
The islands official men's ranking are as follows: 1. Wayne Burrowes, 2. Steve Smith, 3. Bruce Bicknell, 4. Chris Bicknell, 5. Chris Binnie, 6. Warren Burrowes, 7. Andrew Mahfood, 8. Patrick Chin, 9. Joey Levy, 10. Rod Sims, 11. Craig Mair, 12. Anthony Dougall.
