Bicknell sets sights on Aussie Open Junior Championships
Jamaica’s ever-improving junior tennis player, Blaise Bicknell will be hunting a place in the main draw of the 2019 Australian Open Junior (Under-18) Championships when he competes in the qualifying rounds at Traralgon Tennis Association Headquarters in Victoria, Australia, on January 16-17.
The 17-year-old, who is ranked at number 142 on the International Tennis Federation Junior world rankings, needs to win his first-and second-round qualifying matches in order to secure one of the 64 places in the main draw of the 2019 Australian Open tennis Championships for the first time.
Bicknell, who is coached by Mel Spence Jr and Nick Savianno, is expected to leave Florida on Friday, and is scheduled to participate in a Grade One warm-up event beginning on January 9, also at Traralgon Tennis Association Headquarters.
He is happy for the opportunity to attempt qualifing for this, his biggest tournament to date.
“I’m very excited to be playing in one of these junior championships for the first time and I’m looking forward to play well. It won’t be easy as there are many world-ranked players who are participating,” Bicknell said.
He added: “This year I have been playing pretty well and if I get the chance to play in one of the four biggest Junior Grand Slam tournaments, it would be a great feeling. It was my intention during my junior tournaments over the years to try and compete in at least one or all four Junior Grand Slams, by earning enough points on the circuit to reach this level to participate.”
Last year Bicknell won two tournaments — one in Jamaica and the other in Trinidad and Tobago — while reaching the semi-finals in Uruguay in a Grade Two event.
Bicknell played in last month’s JN Bank Open Championships here, where he produced a tremendous performance against eventual winner and top-seeded Rowland “Randy” Phillips in the quarter-finals. Bicknell won the first set 6-3, but lost 2-6,8-10 in a super tiebreaker.