Jones upsets Nurse in BRTO

In a stunning upset, second-seeded Shakeem Nurse was eliminated from the 2024 Barbados Road Tennis Open (BROT), falling to 34th-ranked Curtis Jones in a thrilling three-game match 2-1.

The fixture, played at Dover Courts on Tuesday, was a rollercoaster of emotions as both players battled for supremacy.

The deciding set was a rollercoaster of emotions. Jones, who was once seeded in the top 10, found himself holding a slim 4-1 lead early on. The champion Nurse fought back, closing the gap to 7-6, but Jones regained control to go ahead 9-6. The momentum shifted again as Jones began to make unforced errors, allowing Nurse to edge ahead 13-12.

With the match on a knife-edge, Nurse’s attacking forehand sailed long, giving Jones a crucial 16-14 lead. The crowd held their breath as Nurse clawed his way back to level the scores at 18 apiece, but Jones’s steady play and Nurse’s unforced errors ultimately sealed the victory.

Nurse was caught off-guard as a backhand shot rushed him, and he played the ball into the net to give Jones the 20-19 lead. A look of disbelief came over his face as he stared into the crowd and dropped his racquet while kneeling in the same position he had played the ball for a few extra seconds.

Victory was secured for Jones with yet another error by Nurse who played his backhand wide to win the third game and match 21-17, 17-21, 21-19.

In other matches on the night Antonio ‘Lil Man’ Daniel defeated Sylvanus Doyle 21-11, 21-15, while Jamar Best went down to Antonio Yearwood 21-18, 21-19.

Kirt Alleyne came from a game down to defeat Keon Murrell 18-21, 21-18, 21-12.

In the women’s action Marvalene Neblett defeated Michelle Griffith 21-9, 21-11, while Kezia Blunt defeated Julia Morris Young 21-14, 21-19.

The Barbados Road Tennis Open will move into the quarterfinals this weekend at the Belfield Courts where there will be four women’s matches and four men’s matches slated to be contested on the night.

(CG)