Top local pros for JN Bank Open Tennis Champs
JAMAICA’S top professional and amateur players are expected to be on show in the week-long 11th staging of the 2018 JN Bank Open Tennis Championships slated to start tomorrow through to Saturday, December 22, 2018, at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston.
The JN Bank Open Tennis Championships, which was launched at the Liguanea Club yesterday and is also part of the Lockett McGregor Tournament Series, will see action getting underway 10:00 am on opening day.
The categories to be contested are Men’s and Women’ singles, Men’s and Women’s doubles, Men’s Class Two and Three singles. Damion Johnson and Michaela Stephens are the defending champions for the Men’s and Women’s categories, respectively.
Prize money totalling $750,000 will be up for grabs, with the men’s singles winner walking away with top cash prize of $200,000 along with the champions trophy. The runner-up will take away $100,000.
The losing semi-finalists in the Men’s singles will each collect $50,000, with the losing quarter-finalists $25,000 each, while losers in the Round of 16 to get $12,500 each.
For the Men’s doubles, the winning pair is to share $20,000, and the losers $10,000.
For the Women’s Open champion, the victor will collect $70,000 and a trophy, the runner-up $35,000, with the two losing semi-finalists each getting $17,500. The winner of the women’s doubles is to share $20,000 and the losing pair $10,000.
Tournament Director Llockett McGregor, in delivering his overview of the tournament, noted that this year’s event has attracted keen interests from top local professionals.
Jamaica’s veteran and former number one Damion Johnson, 17-year-old Blaise Bicknell, Dwayne Pagon, Yussuf Migoko, Jeremy Miller and Jacob Bicknell are among those slated to appear.
Richard Dystant, chief of operations channel of JN Bank, was pleased his company is on board once again and is anxious to see “the skills they will develop, as a result of participating in this competition”.
Aswad Morgan, Tennis Jamaica president, extended his gratitude to JN Bank for its continued support.
— Gerald Reid