BLAISE Bicknell, Jamaica’s top tennis player, will continue his quest for the gold medal at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games when he takes on Roberto Cid from the Dominican Republic.

Match time is 11:00 am (12:00 pm).

Bicknell, who is the number three-ranked player in the tournament, booked his place in the last four after a 6-3, 6-7, and 12-10 in the final set tiebreaker over Costa Rica’s Rodrigo Crespo on Monday.

Cid, who is the number two-seeded player in the tournament, marched into the semi-finals with an easy 6-2, 6-3 victory over Venezuela’s Ricardo Rodiquez, also Monday.

The 21-year-old Bicknell, who is ranked 725, told the Jamaica Observer that he is expecting a very tough match from Cid, who is rated at 613 in the world.

“It is going to be a tough match because he [Cid] is a good player, but I am ready to go out there and do my best because I want to win a medal for the country,” said Bicknell.

“I have been playing some tennis coming into this tournament and I am fit and mentally focused on this tournament,” he assured.

Bicknell had to pull out all the stops to beat Crespo in his quarter-final match on Monday. The match, which began on Sunday, was interrupted due to heavy rains, with Bicknell leading 5-3 in the first set. Bicknell quickly wrapped up the first set after the resumption Monday, before losing the second set to Crespo.

The young Jamaican, who played brilliantly in the final set, trailed Crespo 9-4 in the final set tiebreaker before levelling the match at nine-all. Crespo then went up 10-9 but Bicknell dug deep into his reserves to win the next three points, sealing a very memorable victory.

Meanwhile, Bicknell and John Chin were beaten 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 in the final set tiebreaker of the men’s doubles, to Colombia’s pair of Cristian Rodriquez and Alejandro Hoyos.