New winners emerge from IFT Junior Tennis Tournament

The 2010 SVG ITF International Junior Tennis Tournament concluded last Saturday at the National Tennis Centre at Villa.{{more}}

The last day of the eight-day tournament saw the crowning of new Under-18 champion, Top seed in the Boys segment, Stefano Napolitano of Italy.

Napolitano beat the USA’s Alex Fennell in straight sets, 6-2, 6-23, in the final.

The Italian got past Vaughn Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2, in the semifinal, while Fennell had the better of Luke De Caires, 6-2, 6-2, in the semi final play.

Napolitano also combined with Gino Meeuwsen of the Netherlands to beat the Trinidadian pair of Wilson and Seve Day in the Boys Under-18 Doubles Final, 6-1, 5-7, 10-4.

The Girls Under-18 champion title was secured by unseeded Katrine Steffensen of the USA.

Steffensen earned her title with a 7-6, 6-0 triumph at the expense of Trinidadian Jasmin Jebawy.

En route to the final, Steffensen saw off number two seed American Johnnsie Renaud, 6-4, 1-6,6-4.

Jebawy, also unseeded, upset the number one seed Nelo Phiri of the USA in the semi final 6-1, 6-4.

Steffensen had also combined with Phiri to take the Doubles glory.

The combination stopped Barbadian Alyssa Fuentes and Lee-Ann Lingo of Trinidad and Tobago, 6-3, 6-1.

Among the Boys Under-14’s, Antiguan Shakir Elvin was the winner as he recorded a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 win over Elan Mendes of Trinidad and Tobago to secure the age group’s Singles crown.

Elvin had earlier handed Scott Layne of Trinidad and Tobago a 6-3, 6-1 beating in the semi finals, with Mendes taking out Vincentian Jymaun De Roche 6-1, 6-0.

Also in the Girls Under-14 Doubles, the Barbadian pair of Joelle Hall and Kiana Marshall took the title.

In consolation play, it was an all Vincentian final, with Roberta Haslam coming out winner over Denee Lyttle.

One hundred and twenty-eight young Tennis players from sixteen countries, including host St. Vincent and the Grenadines, took part in the Tournament.

This was the fourth year in succession that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was hosting the International Tennis Federation sanctioned event. (RT)