Spencer Lovejoy of the USA won the 2023 Carey Olsen Tortola Classic after defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Asim Khan 3-2 in the final at the Tortola Sports Club on Saturday.
Lovejoy had a great start in the first game, collecting five straight points after being up 3-2, taking that game 11-5.
Khan rebounded well in the second game, using his trademark backhand, striking the ball along the wall as he began to look much sharper on the court. After a nip-and-tuck end to the game, he snuck it 14-12 and levelled the match at 1-1.
The third game was all Khan as he began to look like a strong favourite, taking the game 11-2 to go 2-1 up in the match.
Lovejoy upped the pace and intensity in the 4th and it paid dividends. He won 7 straight points to take the 4th 11-6 to force game 5.
Khan dominated the beginning half of the 5th with a 7-1 lead but Lovejoy fought back, winning 6 straight points thanks to some brilliant moves and some unforced errors by Khan that saw the game being tied at 7-7.
The two traded points until Khan held the match ball at 10-9, but Spencer saved it and then earned a match ball of his own, and Khan’s trusty backhand drop let him down and found the tin, to give Lovejoy the game 12-10 and the match 3-2, to be crowned the champion.