ROWE’S STRIKERS vice-captain Garfield ‘Milligram’ Samuels played the match of his life to sink Eastern All-Stars’ Fitzroy Blair in a seven-set thriller in the quarter-finals of the Jamaica Skittles Federation/Sista Open National Singles Championships last Sunday at the Bourbon House Sports Bar in Kingston.

Blair has been one of the most consistent players since this format of the national open championships started in 2007. He won the title in 2009 and has been a beaten finalist. Blair has also been to two semi-finals.

So playing Samuels in a quarter-final match, Blair was a clear favourite, but his opponent had other ideas.

Blair took the first two games easily with scores of 820-550, 1,130-500.

However, Samuels evened the scores by winning the third and fourth games 1,380-1,130 and 1,280-1,110.

But Blair would find a fresh rhythm and he regained the lead and seemed on course for a semi-final place with the scores reading 3-2.

With his home supporters cheering loudly, Blair seemed to have lost his focus and played some careless shots allowing Samuels to tie up the match and forced a seventh and deciding set.

It was close going and it could be anybody’s game, but Samuels caught the gatelock and made no-mistake by sinking off the last five balls to take the decider 1,120-770.

Samuels will once again face another tough opponent in the semi-final, Blair’s captain Nehemiah Henry.

Henry out-played Fred Marsh of Eagles Strikers 4-2 with scores of 1,440-660, 1,020-400, 690-230, 400-1,980, 500, and 1,540-960.

It will be a battle of Eagles teammates in the other semi-final between Clinton ‘Fly Up’ Thompson and title favourite Dane Jones, both players coming off a 4-0 whipping of their opponents.

Thompson beat Rowe’s strikers captain Raval Montague, while Jones outclassed Eastern’s Stephen Thompson.

The winner will take home $60,000 and the Sista trophy, while the runner-up will collect $30,000.

In the women’s championships, former federation president Jacynth Kellier will meet Camile Clarke in the final.

Kellier stopped Iona Anderson 680-650 and 1,070-350, while Clarke got a bye into the final.

The semi-finals and finals will be played this Sunday at the same venue starting at 2:00 pm sharp.