DAMANI Cain and Michaela Stephens captured the Boys’ and Girls’ Under-18 singles titles, respectively, at the 2017 Access Financial Services All-Jamaica Junior Open Tennis Championships that ended at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre last Sunday.

Both players also won a second title in the Boys’ and Girls’ Under-16 singles final. Stephens retained her crowns for the Under-18 and Under-16 categories.

Third-seeded Cain defeated top seed Cliff Dwyer in straight sets 6-3, 6-0 in the Under-18 Boys’ final, while third seed Stephens came from a set down to defeat unseeded, Canadian-born Justine Bryson 5-7, 6-3, 10-6 (super tiebreaker set in the Under-18 girls).

Cain said he was very pleased with his performance and victory over Dwyer, who he was defeating for the first time.

“He has always beaten me over the past four years, but I was ready this time as I came out very confident. I played some good shots in the first set before taking control of the game,” said the 15-year-old Cain.

Cain said he will be looking forward to participating in the ITF Jamaica Junior Invitational Tournament, to be played here in Jamaica starting this weekend.

Meanwhile, Stephens said it was a tough match against Bryson, and she had to dig deep.

“The first set was a very close one where we were locked at 5-5 before she broke my service and held hers to win the set. I came out confident in the second set and, after racing to a 4-0 lead in the second, I was very comfortable with my shots and went on to level the match at 1-1,” Stephens said.

She said in the deciding super tiebreaker set, she made certain to stay in the lead after jumping ahead 4-0 despite Bryson’s fightback at 4-3.

Stephens added that she has learnt a lot during her six-month scholarship stint at Ace Tennis Academy in Canada, which is run by Jamaican Douglas Burke.

Meanwhile, in the Boys’ Under-16 final, top seed Cain defeated second-seeded John Azar Jr 6-1, 7-6 (7-1 tie-breaker), while top seed and defending champion Stephens defeated, unseeded Selena Bird in the Girls Under-16 in straight sets 6-2, 6-3.

Second seed Daniel Azar captured the Boys’ Under-14 singles title when he defeated top seed Cole McNair in straight sets 7-5, 6-3. In the Girls’ Under-14 final, second seed Katherine Dibbs defeated unseeded Alyssa James in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2. James had toppled top seed Peta-Gaye Graham 8-5 in her semi-final, while Dibbs beat Thande Sampson 8-0 in her semi-final.

Top seed Daniel Azar captured the Boys’ Under-12 singles title with a 8-3 win over Delano Reeves in the final.