Start of ITF junior tournament delayed because of bad weather

Early morning showers yesterday prevented the 9 a.m. scheduled start of play in the International Tennis Federation junior tournament at the National Tennis Centre at Villa.{{more}}

Dark clouds were hovering up in the skies, and the organizers informed players and their managers that there would be no play before 10 a.m, in the tournament which runs from August 19 – 24, 2013.

Twenty-two matches were scheduled in the Boys and Girls Under-18 singles matches, which included a number of Vincentian players, including three wild-card entries.

The male Vincentian wild-card entries are Akeem Guy, who is down to play John Jorgeson of the USA; Akeizo Quammie, who will face Joshua Abraham of Trinidad and Tobago, and Richard Akcayli who will clash with Stefan Cooper of Great Britain, who is the tournament’s number two seeded player, ranked 825th in the world junior rankings.

The Lyttle twin sisters Luka and Denee are the only Vincentian players in the Girls Under-18 singles draw, and were still awaiting the schedule of matches to be posted.

The top four seeded Boys Under 18 players are Jean Thirouin of the USA, fresh off his winning the 2013 Coca-Cola ITF Junior Tennis Tournament Boys 18s Singles championship in Saint Lucia, is seeded at number one.

The other top seeded players are Stefan Cooper of Great Britain, the number two seed; the number three seed is Arthur Stephani of Brazil; and W. De Quant of the Netherlands is the number four seed male player.

Also competing in this week’s tournament is the 2013 Coca-Cola ITF Junior Tennis Tournament Boys 18s Girls champion Simone Pratt of the Bahamas, who is the Girls number one seed.

Danielle Thompson, also of the Bahamas, is the number two seed; Brianna Stampli of Trinidad and Tobago the number three seed, with Mia Smith of Great Britain the number four seed.

The playing arrangements for the tournament will see all of the Boys and Girls Under-14 Singles and Doubles being played at the Grassroots Courts, while the Boys’ and Girls’ 18s Singles and Doubles will be played at the National Tennis Centre in Villa. (Robertson S. Henry/robertsons.henry@gmail.com)