National Junior Easter Tennis Tourney concludes

Ninety-five players, twenty-five of whom were in competition for the first time, delivered performances which resulted in two weeks of exciting Tennis, making the 2010 Easter Junior championships a successful one.{{more}}

Tournament Director Anthony Bentick told SEARCHLIGHT: “The tournament was indeed an enjoyable one”.

Bentick was excited with the response from the under-10s, a group that was managed by ITF Coach, Surinamese John Goede, who is on a six month stint here.

There were an encouraging twenty-nine entrants in the under-10 age category.

“Where the groupings were small, we played a round robin and where they were large, we played the normal Knock Out,” Bentick said.

Originally set for one week, the tournament was extended by a few more days, which Bentick said was to allow participants to also enjoy the Easter vacation.

The championships closed off last Friday evening at the National Tennis Centre at Villa with the final of the Under-18 Boys’ Singles.

In that match, Rafai Bentick tipped the tie with J’Rai Joyete-Da Silva, 6-2, 6-2, to add to his Under-16 Singles and Under-18’s Doubles titles. Bentick beat Johnathan Perry 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, to win the singles and with Bradni Black copped the Doubles. Bentick also made off with the Challenge Trophy.

Also in winner’s row were Gabrielle Benn, who took the Girls Under -10 Singles, and Khamisi Bascombe, the male winner.

The winners in the Under-12 were Chelsea Haslam and Sebastian Cyrus, as Boys and Girls Singles winners, respectively, with Haslam repeating her feat in the Under-14 and Jymourn De Roche, the Boys Under-14 winner.

Haslam received her third title when she teamed up with Nyasha Creese to win the Under-14 Doubles.

Daneya Charles took both the Girls Under-16 and 18 Singles titles, and with Halima Michael won the Under-18 Doubles.

The pair of Imani King and De Roche shared the Boys Under-14 Doubles title.

Haslam was voted the Most Improved Under-14, Jon Anthony Thomas, the Most Improved Under-12, and Black, the Most Improved Under-18.

The next Junior Tournament is set for July.

( RT)