ROWLAND ‘Randy’ Phillips and defending champion Damion Johnson is the number one and two seeds, respectively, in the 2015 Jamaica National (JN) Open Tennis Championship men’s singles which begins this morning at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston. Action gets underway at 3:00 pm.

Phillips won the All-Jamaica and Swept Away tournament to become the number one seed, defeating in the process Johnson in three hard-fought sets to capture the All-Jamaica Open men’s singles crown.

Both players are not expected to play their first-round match today until tomorrow as they have received byes into the second round. Phillips said he is looking forward to winning this championship and complete the year with three titles since returning to Jamaica from Florida where he attended school.

“It’s the first time I will be playing in the JN Men’s Open Championships since I returned to the island, and it would be great to finish with a victory,” Phillips said.

The 21-year-old Jamaica Davis Cup representative said if Johnson and himself should meet in the final it would be a tough clash again, similarly to when they met in the All- Jamaica decider where he had to come before winning the next two sets to clinch an exciting 2-1 victory.

“Johnson has always been a very tough player to defeat, as he is also a very good player who hits the ball well with strong and hard returns. I am looking forward for another pulsating encounter with him providing we both reach the final,” said Phillips.

Meanwhile, Johnson, who has won the three previous All-Jamaica men’s singles title, conceded that he was not at his best and was not very fit when he met Phillips in the final of this year’s All-Jamaica men’s singles championship.

“I know something was wrong in the second set with by usual fitness level. My shoots also were not working, likewise by services where I created too many double faults.

This time around, if we should meet in the final, I will be ready and in the process retain by title,” Johnson said. Meanwhile, the other seeded players in the men’s singles, who should reach the round of 16 are Marcus Malcolm (third), Dwayne Pagon (fourth), Duainne Miler (fifth), David Goldsmith (sixth), Yussuf Migoko (seventh) and Matthew Rodriquez (eighth).

There are 16 seeded players in the main draw. The women’s singles will have defending champion Ffiona Fletcher as the top seed and Sheneka Knight, whom she defeated in the Swept Away tournament.

Providing both players should reach the final, it should be another gripping match.

Knight, however, is seeded at one as Fletcher has not entered with Phadria Kepple the second seed, followed by Micheala Stephenson at three and Imega McNab at four in the main draw.