AARON WILSON reached the singles quarterfinals and under-21 semifinals and Trinidad and Tobago compatriot Catherine Spicer stunned a former champion on the penultimate day of the Caribbean Table Tennis Championships yesterday in Martinique.
After winning all three matches to top his round-robin group, Wilson edged Carlos Hernandez of Cuba 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4 to reach the last eight in the open draw.
His three compatriots were beaten in the “round of 16.”
Curtis Humphreys, the country’s top-ranked player, surprisingly took second-seeded Emil Santos of the Dominican Republic to five game before he eventually went down 9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 11-4.
Yuvraaj Dookram was the only member of the quartet who did not get a bye in the first round. And after prevailing in three straight games, the national champ was beaten 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 13-11 by Cuban Livan Martinez, the top seed in the under-21 category.
National under-18 champ Arun Roopnarine went down 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 against David Vila of Dominican Republic and was also sent packing in the under-21 quarters when No. 2 seed Hernandez prevailed 11-4, 11-9, 11-5.
Wilson, crowned Caribbean under-19 champ a couple months ago, crushed Andre Freeman of St Kitts 11-2, 11-5, 11-2 to reached the last four in the under-21 division.
Spicer registered by far the biggest victory of her career when she edged former open and under-21 champ Eva Brito in five games to top her group and quialify for the knockout phase.
Brito also moved into the last 16 and the top seed from Dominican Republic won her two matches to reach the under-21 final.
Spicer trounced a player from Dominica in three straight before she was beaten 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 by Yasiris Ortiz of Dominican Republic in the last eight.
Brittany Joseph also went out in the under-21 quarters as the national under-18 champ lost 11-5, 11-9,. 11-6 against Yuneisy Galvan of Cuba after a stright-set first-round triumph.
Linda Partap-Boodhan and 11-time national champ Aleena Edwards advanced to the last 16 in the open draw, along with compatriots Joseph and national under-21 champ Spicer.