Jamaican James wins Little Mo International Tennis titles
ALYSSA James of Jamaica captured the Eight and Under Girls’ category of the 10th annual Little Mo International Tennis Tournament in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida on Wednesday. The tournament was held December 2-7.The Little Mo Tennis Tournament is named after Maureen Connolly, who was known as Little Moo, and was the first woman to win the Grand Slam in 1953, having won Wimbledon, US Open, French Open and Australian Open tournaments.James described the key to her win as her ability to maintain her focus and how to fight to the end.“What I liked most about my idol, Serena Williams is her ability to fight when she is down,” she said.James, who is currently ranked number one in the 12 and under and number five in the 14 and under categories, produced two major upsets by first knocking out Natalie Oliver from the USA, the number two seed.The eight-year-old Jamaican then eliminated JoAnna Kennedy of the USA, the number one seed in the tournament, who had won the New York and California legs of the event and was on track to win the Little Mo Grand Slam.James, the number one player in the Jamaica in the 12 and under age group, defeated Oliver in the quarter-finals when she came from a set down to win 4-6, 7-5, 10-8 (super tiebreaker).The Jamaican defeated Kennedy in the final 6-0, 2-6, 10-6 (super tiebreaker) to capture the singles crown.In the clash with Kennedy, both players split the first two sets to be tied at 1-1. James was in trouble as she was down 2-6 in the super tiebreaker final set, but rallied strongly to brilliantly win the next eight points to win the match.She captured a second title by teaming with Agassi Rusher of the USA to win the mixed doubles by defeating the pair of Jackson MacTaggart of The Bahamas and McKenzie Shelton of the USA.Meanwhile, the tournament had over 410 players from 45 countries participating over five days. Past champions who were present were Madison Keys and Andy Roddick, who won the tournament as a 10-year-old.James is a student at Hillel Academy and is being coached by Jamaica’s number one player Damion Johnson and Richard Russell of the Russell Tennis Academy.She is the daughter of former player Marcus and Julie-Ann James.— Gerald Reid
The tournament was held December 2-7.
The Little Mo Tennis Tournament is named after Maureen Connolly, who was known as Little Moo, and was the first woman to win the Grand Slam in 1953, having won Wimbledon, US Open, French Open and Australian Open tournaments.
James described the key to her win as her ability to maintain her focus and how to fight to the end.
“What I liked most about my idol, Serena Williams is her ability to fight when she is down,” she said.
James, who is currently ranked number one in the 12 and under and number five in the 14 and under categories, produced two major upsets by first knocking out Natalie Oliver from the USA, the number two seed.
The eight-year-old Jamaican then eliminated JoAnna Kennedy of the USA, the number one seed in the tournament, who had won the New York and California legs of the event and was on track to win the Little Mo Grand Slam.
James, the number one player in the Jamaica in the 12 and under age group, defeated Oliver in the quarter-finals when she came from a set down to win 4-6, 7-5, 10-8 (super tiebreaker).
The Jamaican defeated Kennedy in the final 6-0, 2-6, 10-6 (super tiebreaker) to capture the singles crown.
In the clash with Kennedy, both players split the first two sets to be tied at 1-1. James was in trouble as she was down 2-6 in the super tiebreaker final set, but rallied strongly to brilliantly win the next eight points to win the match.
She captured a second title by teaming with Agassi Rusher of the USA to win the mixed doubles by defeating the pair of Jackson MacTaggart of The Bahamas and McKenzie Shelton of the USA.
Meanwhile, the tournament had over 410 players from 45 countries participating over five days. Past champions who were present were Madison Keys and Andy Roddick, who won the tournament as a 10-year-old.
James is a student at Hillel Academy and is being coached by Jamaica’s number one player Damion Johnson and Richard Russell of the Russell Tennis Academy.
She is the daughter of former player Marcus and Julie-Ann James.
— Gerald Reid
