Jamaicans set to dominate Caribbean Junior Tennis Championships finals
JAMAICAN players are in a position to dominate all the finals of the 2016 Blue Mountain Caribbean Junior Tennis Championships after winning their respective semi-final matches at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston yesterday.
The finals are scheduled to begin this morning at 9:00, with the boys’ and girls’ 12 and under.
Top seed in the boys’ 18 and under singles final, Jamaica’s Blaise Bicknell will go up against his compatriot Luke Quaynor. In yesterday’s semi-finals, Bicknell brushed aside Jean Phillipe Murray of St Lucia 6-3, 6-3, while Quaynor registered a similar 6-3, 6-3 win over second seed Cliff Dwyer of Jamaica.
It will also be another all-Jamaica clash in the final of the girls’ 18 and under singles between top seed Emma Dibbs and Hayley McNair. Dibbs won her semis 6-3, 7-6, while McNair gained a walk over from Lauren Rickman.
The boys’ 16 and under singles final will be played between unseeded Callum Theaker of the Cayman Islands and second seed Damani Cain of Jamaica. In semi-finals action, Theaker stopped Myles Harrison of Jamaica 6-1, 6-1, while Cain rushed past Ryan Cox of Jamaica 6-0, 6-3.
Jamaicans will again be in action in the girls’ 16 and under singles final with third seed Michaela Stephens opposing second-seeded Jenna Harrison. Stephens received a walk over from top seed Emma Dibbs, while Harrison whipped her compatriot Hayley McNair in straight sets 6-1, 6-1.
Fourth-seeded Cain will do battle with unseeded Hiemral Resaul of Guyana in the boys’ 14 and under singles final. Resaul defeated Joshua Kalekeza of Guyana 6-2, 6-3, while Cain crushed second seed Blake Shoucair of Jamaica 6-0, 6-0 in their respective semi-finals yesterday.
The girls’ 14 and under singles final will be between top seed Jenna Harrison of Jamaica and her unseeded compatriot Lauren Fullerton. Harrison won her semi-final with a crushing 6-0, 6-0 win over third-seeded Katherine Dibbs of Jamaica, while Fullerton ended the run of unseeded Kalyca of Guyana with a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Jamaica’s fourth-seed Matthew James will contest the boys’ 12 and under singles final against unseeded Jack Lomax of the Cayman Islands. James beat Oskar Bjuro of the Cayman Islands 6-4, 6-2, while Lomax came from a set down to beat Jake Serpell of the Cayman Islands 6-3, 6-0 in their respective semi-finals.
Top seed Alyssa James of Jamaica will meet second seed Savannah Thompson, also of Jamaica, in the girls’ 12 and under singles final. James beat Sarah Klautky 6-4, 6-2, while Thompson knocked out fourth seed Sekal Jones of Guyana 6-1, 6-1.
The boys’ and girls’ open doubles finals will also be played today as the Championships comes to an end.