TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO'S RHEANN CHUNG staged a magnificent recovery to be crowned champion for the fourth time, but her step-father Dexter St Louis failed to capture his fifth crown when the 53rd Caribbean Table Tennis Championships concluded yesterday in Guyana.
After losing the first three games to a player who had beaten her in the team final, Chung was given no chance in the women's singles final against under-21 champ Eva Brito of Dominican Republic. But the France-based player refused to yield and, after dominating the fourth and fifth games, she displayed nerves of steel in two "deuce" games to complete the unbelievable victory 7-11, 8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 13-11, 12-10.
The 25-year-old Chung, who had combined with St Louis to win the mixed doubles title for the sixth time a couple days earlier, drew level with the veteran left-hander, who seemed on his way to his fifth singles crown when he edged Juan Vila 15-13 in the first game of the men's singles final.
The left-handed St Louis had already beaten Vila during the team final on Sunday, but the player from the Dominican Republic had the last laugh as he did not drop another game in prevailing 11-9, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8.
St Louis was also able to gain revenge as he defeated Emil Santos 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2 in the semi-finals after going down against the Dominican Republic player in the team final.
T&T's Curtis Humphreys stunned everyone by reaching the last four, before the player who secured the doubles silver medal with France-based St Louis was then beaten 11-6, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9 by Vila.
Chung, who picked up silver in doubles with nine-time national champ Aleena Edwards, halted Trenace Lowe 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 in the semis, after the player from Guyana had accounted for surprise quarter-finalist Ashley Quashie of T&T in five games.
Five-time national champ Reeza Burke went out in the "round of 16" against former champ Kevin Farley of Barbados, but Edwards, Michael Nanton and Linda Partap-Boodhan were eliminated at the round-robin group stage.
T&T were beaten by the Dominican Republic in both the men's and women's team finals on Sunday.
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com
By Shammi Kowlessar