SEVERAL of the top-seeded players are through to the next round of the 2017 Access Financial-sponsored All-Jamaica Junior Open Tennis Championships, which got under way at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre yesterday.

Action continues today, starting at 8:30 am.

The biggest casualty yesterday came in the 18 and under girls’ singles where unseeded Selena Bird knocked out the number two seed Emma Dibbs in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.

Defending champion Cliff Dwyer, top seed in the 18 and under boys’ singles, defeated unseeded Ryan Cox in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, while Myles Harrison beat Romeo Edwards also in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. Both are expected to face each other in the next round. Second seed John Azar Jr will meet John Chin in the next round.

Top seed in the 18 and under girls’ singles Valaine Clarke from the United States is scheduled to face Justine Bryson in the next round. Bryson put away Kailey Chin in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. Clarke is also the number one player in the USA 18 and under girls’ singles.

Unseeded Moesha Fox is through to the next round, after eliminating Haley McNair in straight sets, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, where she will meet Jenna Harrison in the next round.

Jamaica’s 14-year-old Michaela Stephens has returned home after a six-month tennis scholarship stint at the Ace Tennis Academy in Toronto, Canada, where Jamaica’s Douglas Burke is the president.

Stephens, who is also the Senior All-Jamaica defending champion, should make her presence felt in the 18 and under girls’ singles. She is seeded at three and faces Haley McNair after receiving a bye into the next round. Stephens is also down to play in the 16 and under singles, where she is the number one seed.

In the 16 and under boys’ singles, second-seeded John Azar Jr crushed unseeded Joshua Graveney in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 to advance into today’s second round.

Meanwhile, three overseas players are participating in the girls’ 18 and under singles — Valaine Clarke from New York, and sisters Emmanuel Mottley and Laurian Mottley from Barbados.

Meanwhile, Deveta McLaren, manager, retail sales and marketing of Access Financial Services Limited ,said this is the third-consecutive year that the company is sponsoring the All-Jamaica Junior Open tennis Championships.

“At the beginning of the relationship in 2015, we made a commitment to continue our support and we have held to that commitment. Tennis, as we have always maintained, promotes a high level of discipline and dedication which we want to encourage among our youth. Further, we view this sponsorship as a contribution to nation building and the development of one of Jamaica’s most valuable assets, our youth,” McLaren said.

She further added: “Tennis holds huge potential for the country on the world stage. Jamaica has some very talented youngsters playing right now, but they need all the support they can get, hence why we are on board. We have remained title sponsor for the championships because of the level of organisation that goes into its execution, and more importantly because the championships brings together a diverse pool of talented players from across Jamaica.”