Daniela Fonseca. Photo: Mónica Ramírez (JIT)
Havana, March 21 (RHC)-- Triumphs in the group phase of the individual event marked the debut of the Cubans in the Georgetown 2023 Caribbean Table Tennis Championship in Guyana.
In the men's section, Andy Pereira, Jorge Moises Campos, Liván Martínez and Adrián Pérez won the two matches taken on by each of them in their respective groups and advanced as seeded players to the single elimination phase.
According to the official results published at www.ittf.com, Andy dominated section one with quick 3-0 sets against Puerto Rican Daniel Gonzalez and local Elishaba Johnson. In turn, Moises dominated section three by sweeping local Paul David and submitting in five sets to Aaron Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago.
Adrian, the least experienced of the West Indian team, registered identical 3-1 wins over Barbadian Trevor Farley and Trinidadian Derron Douglas in segment six.
In pool seven, Livan defeated Maurice Lie of Suriname 3-1 and Oliver Guerrier of Haiti 3-0 to complete the impeccable performance. Now the Islanders are comfortably waiting for the closing of this stage to know their routes to the podium.
Among the girls, Daniela Fonseca and Idalis Lovet did not face too much resistance, judging by the scores of their first performances.
The former "dispatched" Barbadian Krystle Harvey 3-0 and added her second success due to the no-show of host Thuraia Thomas.
Idalis was in action in two matches of the day and did not lose a set to Chloe Fraser of Trinidad and Tobago and Zarianne Anthony of St. Lucia.
The only defeats conceded by Cuba in the opening match were to Lizdainet Rodriguez and Estela Crespo, the least experienced players in the lineup.
Lizdainet lost 0-3 to the well-known Dominican Eva Brito, but balanced her performance thanks to the absence of her second opponent, Haitian Sophie Gilles. Estela also did not have a happy start against Dominican Yasiris Ortiz, who defeated her in four sets, and her match against Guyanese Natalie Cummings was left pending.
The Caribbean tournament began with the singles and for the following days the mixed doubles and gender doubles modalities are scheduled.
The team event, from which the qualifiers for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Cuba's main objective, will be chosen, is reserved for the closing of the event.
