Dom is downed

By Aaron Scoones

DOM MCLUSKEY crashed back to earth yesterday when he had to retire hurt in his opening match of the singles. On Monday evening, the 17-year-old was the hero as he defeated Bermuda’s Andy Bray to help Guernsey win the gold in the team event.

However during that match he struggled with problems with his quads and yesterday they flared up again and forced him to stop as he took on Quentin Sloper, of the Isle of Wight.

There were mixed fortunes for fellow Sarnians Pat Ogier and Chris Hickling.

Ogier had few problems overcoming Tony Kjall of Aland 6-1, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Bermudan Jenson Bascombe.

The pair had played each other in the team event final and Ogier had the rub of the green on that occasion.

And it was the same again as he won both sets on tie-breaks.

Guernsey captain Hickling lost out to David Thomas. The New Zealander won the first set 6-4, before giving up the second 6-3.

A championship tie-break to 10 points was needed and Hickling soon found himself 8-5 up. However, his Bermudian opponent fought back to win 10-8.

Hickling felt he had only himself to blame. ‘I blew it,’ he said.

Rob West won his match with Matthew Danis, of Prince Edward Island, to book himself a meeting with top player Eduardo Torres today.

Katie Walters is the only Guernsey woman still in the singles as she defeated Gibraltar number one Lindsay Sene and then the Cayman Islands’ top seed, Shizuka Mitsumizo.