Johnson cops Couples Swept Away tennis singles title
NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Number one seed Damion Johnson won the Men’s Open singles event at last weekend’s BCIC Couples Swept Away Heroes Weekend Clay Court tournament, beating 13th-ranked Jacob Bicknell 6-3, 3-6, 10-5 in the final on Monday night in an event that was ravaged by constant weekend rain.
Johnson beat two Bicknells in back-to-back games as he had prevailed against teenager Blaise in the semi-finals a few hours before the finals, both matches decided by a 10-point tiebreaker.
The final that was originally scheduled for 10:00am Monday was not played until nine hours later under lights, as rains caused long stoppages Saturday and Sunday, forcing the organisers to use the tiebreaker instead of playing a full third set to decide the matches.
The players had to dig deep on the final day as some were forced to play three matches — quarter-final, semis and final in a 12-hour span.
In the final, Johnson won the first set 6-3, but Bicknell, who had a relatively easier semi-final, levelled the match at set all winning 6-3, but the top seed dug deep to win the tie-breaker 10-5.
Johnson had a tough semi-final against the teenaged Blaise Bicknell, who earlier that day won his quarter-final against 16th-ranked Julius Biggs 6-1, 7-6.
Young Bicknell pushed Johnson all the way, winning the first set 6-2, but wilted a bit in the second to lose 6-3, only to lose the tie-breaker 11-9 after he pushed the more experienced player all the way, tying up the scores at 10-10.
Jacob Bicknell had brushed aside second seed Dwayne Pagon 6-2, 6-1 in their semi-final.
Pagon did not leave empty- handed as he won the Men’s 35 Professionals category, beating Yussuf Migoko 6-1, 6-4 in the final.
Annlisse Rose won the Women’s Open Singles beating Shae-Ann Kameka in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.
In the semi-finals, Rose, who did not drop a set the entire weekend, beat Pauline Hylton 6-0, 6-2, while Kameka had got by Ffion Fletcher 2-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Top seed Richard Deenah won the Men’s Over 35 amateur crown by beating second seed Adrian Armstrong in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
Deenah was never extended as in the semi-finals he beat Errol Chatoo 6-0, 6-2 after Chatoo had gone three sets in beating Simon Casserly.
Armstrong beat Keith Jackson 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-finals.
