As the PanAm Senior Squash Championships moved into its next match day on Monday in Asuncion, Paraguay, three Barbadian doubles pairs all exited the competition after pushing their higher-ranked opponents to tough, close encounters, leaving fans impressed by their tenacity on court.
The first contest of the day for Barbados came in the women’s doubles draw, where Central American and Caribbean (CAC) double gold medalist Margot Prow paired with Eboni Atherley to face Colombian siblings Laura and Maria Tovar. The Barbadian duo got off to a slow start, dropping the opening game 7-11. Instead of letting the early setback derail their momentum, they adjusted their court positioning and aggressive shot placement to bounce back, claiming the second game 11-8 to level the match at one game apiece. In a tightly contested decider, Prow and Atherley pushed the Tovar pair all the way, but ultimately fell just short with an 8-11 loss that ended their run.
Next up, Barbados’ mixed doubles pair Meagan Best and Khamal Cumberbatch, both decorated CAC Games medalists, took on home crowd favorites Segundo Portabales and Paula Rivero of Argentina in another nail-biting three-game clash. The Argentine combination got off to a strong start, securing the first game 11-8 to put pressure on the Barbadian side. Best and Cumberbatch refused to concede, battling through multiple deuces to edge a narrow 11-10 win in the second game to force a deciding third set. Despite their fighting spirit, the Barbadian pair could not maintain their momentum, falling 8-11 in the final game to exit the championship.
In the men’s doubles draw, Barbados’ Darien Benn and Shawn Simpson faced a tougher test against Brazil’s Diego Gobbi and Pedro Mometto. The Brazilian pair controlled the match from start to finish, claiming a straight 2-0 win with set scores of 11-7 and 11-4 to end Benn and Simpson’s run.
The day’s results follow on from Sunday’s singles action, where Prow bowed out of the women’s singles quarter-finals after a three-game loss to second-seeded Marina Stefanoni of the United States. Prow pushed Stefanoni in each game, but the American favorite claimed victory with set scores of 11-6, 11-1, 11-7.
With individual draw play wrapping up for the Barbadian contingent, all focus now shifts to the team competition, which is scheduled to get underway on Thursday.