Micah Franklin advanced to the men’s final at the Caribbean Area Squash Association Senior Championships in Guyana on Tuesday.

Franklin, the Bermuda second seed, defeated the island’s top male player Taylor Carrick 3-0 in the semi-finals. He recorded scores of 11-9, 11-3, 11-1, to set up a title decider with the No 1 seed, Khamal Cumberbatch, from Barbados, with the two squaring off on Tuesday night (7.40pm).

“It’s always difficult playing your own team-mate in an international competition,” Franklin told The Royal Gazette.

“Both of us just went out there and tried to play as good as we could. I think yesterday's battles really took a lot out of our legs.

“It went down to who had the faster recovery and more tenacity to get through the line.

“I’m always relieved and happy to play after a match like I did last night, to then back it up and play again in the morning.

“For me to get a win against Taylor, who beat me at our national championships early this year, feels great. It goes down as one of my best performances, for sure.”

While disheartened that things did not go his way, Carrick took solace in having his compatriot playing for the top prize. The Toronto-based player is facing Daniel Ince, from Guyana, in the bronze medal match.

“I’m pretty disappointed,” the 24-year-old said.

“I didn’t play the way I wanted to and my body gave up on me. Micah played well, took advantage of that and I’m happy we have a Bermudian in the finals.”

The Bermudians were engaged in gruelling encounters in the quarter-finals. Franklin needed 72 minutes to get past Darien Benn, of Barbados, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-13, while Carrick took 52 minutes to triumph 4-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, against No 2 seed Julian Jervis, from Cayman Islands.

Franklin is seeking to avenge the defeat inflicted upon on him by Cumberbatch in 2023, when the pair met in Cayman Islands.

“Khamal Cumberbatch, he beat me the last time we played two years ago,” the Bermudian said.

“It’s going to be a really difficult match tonight. I’m going to have to try and recover now and get ready for it.

“But I've put in the work, I’ve just got to be mentally strong and ready for a fight and a battle. One last push and see if we can get the win.

“I have never won this competition before. My best position was third and I have already surpassed that by reaching the final.”