Saint Lucia picked up three victories in the group phase of the table tennis teams competition at the XXV Central American & Caribbean Games over the weekend, with wins for DeAndre Calderon, Shatal Charles, and the men’s doubles pair of Calderon and Leshon Francis.
Although neither team advanced, the achievement was notable, as it was their first time at this level.
The only nation from the English-speaking Caribbean to qualify men’s and women’s teams to the CAC Games, Saint Lucia faced tough opposition on Saturday and Sunday at Pabellón de Tenis de Mesa in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Competing in Group A, the men’s team was swept 3-0 by regional powerhouses Mexico on Saturday. Mexico outpointed their opponents 99-44. In doubles, Dario Arce and Marcos Madrid beat 15-year-old Francis and 21-year-old Calderon 3:0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-4).
Rogelio Castro, the youngest Mexican in the squad at just 21 years old, defeated Manie Eleuthere 3:0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-5), and veteran Marcos Madrid got past Calderon 3:0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-8).
Going up against Costa Rica, Francis and Calderon opened the tie with a doubles win, beating Jeison Martinez and Daniel Araya 3:1 (11-5, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9). Saint Lucia seized the early initiative, taking the first two games convincingly before Costa Rica briefly rallied to claim the third 11-5.
Costa Rica responded immediately in the second rubber. Gabriel Quiros, just 17 years old, delivered a remarkable five-game triumph over Eleuthere, 3:2 (5-11, 11-2, 14-12, 8-11, 11-7). Calderon then got past Daniel Araya in another five-setter (9-11, 12-10, 11-3, 6-11, 11-3), restoring Saint Lucia’s lead at 2-1 in the tie.
With a spot in the quarterfinals on the line, Quiros downed Francis in straight sets (11-5, 11-7, 11-5), levelling the tie at 2-2. Jeison Martinez sealed Costa Rica’s advancement against Eleuthere with another straight-sets performance (11-5, 11-5, 11-7).
In Group D, the 12th-seeded women’s team faced the fourth-seeded Dominican Republic and went down 3-1. In the doubles rubber, Esmerlyn Castro and Yasiris Ortiz dominated Saint Lucia’s Zarianna Anthony and Shatal Charles 3:1 (11-3, 11-4, 4-11, 11-3). Eva Brito delivered a clinical straight-games performance against Cherese Darcheville, winning 3:0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-8).
But Saint Lucia’s only point of the match was a dramatic one. Charles produced a remarkable comeback against Yasiris Ortiz, overturning a 0-2 deficit to win 3:2 (5-11, 2-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8) in 30 minutes.
With the tie still alive at 2-1, Eva Brito closed out the match, defeating Zarianne Anthony 3:0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-5).
On Sunday, Cuba blanked Saint Lucia 3-0. Estela Crespo and Rosalba Aguiar beat Anthony and Charles 3:0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-9), Daniela Fonseca dismantled Darcheville 3:0 (11-1, 11-7, 11-5), and Rosalba Aguiar earned a comeback win over Charles, 3:2 (6-11, 11-2, 9-11, 13-11, 11-9).
