JAMAICAN star Chris Binnie was set to defend his title after advancing to the final of Caribbean Area Squash Association Senior Championships in Trinidad & Tobago last night.

Binnie, who entered the tournament with the No 1 ranking, was scheduled to take on No 2 seed Cameron Stafford of the Cayman Islands for his third regional crown.

The All-Jamaica Senior Men's champion advanced to the final after beating Barbadian Shawn Simpson, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9. In his most competitive match since the start of the tournament, Binnie found himself down 0-3 in the third set after winning the first two.

However, Binnie prevailed and maintained his perfect record of straight set wins.

In contrast, Stafford fought an epic five-set battle in his semi-final against No 3 seed Micah Franklin of Bermuda. Stafford, who won the first set, then went down 2-1, dug deep to win, 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7.

Winning his third Caribbean Senior title is a major goal for Binnie, who launched his pro career this year. The 23-year-old has not lost a match on Jamaican soil for more than two years and has already claimed a pro title at the British Virgin Islands Open in June.

"I'm very excited about playing in the final. I'm feeling confident and I'm ready to go. As long as I play my game and take control from the beginning, I think things should work out," Binnie said.

The final of the event was held last night, but the tournament is set to continue with the team competition, which will run until August 26.