Young Vincentian tennis players gain points in ITF outing

St Vincent and the Grenadines did not light up the National Tennis Centre during this year’s hosting of the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Junior Tennis Tournament, but some players gained valuable points to enhance their rankings.{{more}}

Upping their points were Garbrielle Benn, Taj Ballantyne, Luka Lyttle and Alexi Humphrey.

Gabrielle Benn, Khiyanna Singh, Luka Lyttle and Denee Lyttle all reached the second round.

Benn beat Anya King of Trinidad and Tobago 7-6, 6-3, but was defeated in a 6-0, 6-0 drubbing by Najah Dawson of the USA. Singh recorded a 6-4, 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago before losing out to Dax Seidlon of the USA, 6-3, 6-0.

Luka Lyttle stopped Jaimie Lewis of Barbados 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, but her advancement was halted by Sara Jamal of the USA 6-3, 4-6, 7-6.

Denee Lyttle, after registering a 6-1, 6-0 win over Carissa Rodulfo of Trinidad and Tobago went under 6-1, 6-0 to USA’s Kianah Motosono.

The two other Vincentians in the Female Under-18 both suffered first round losses.

Amarlia Benn was outplayed by Nicole Bunea of Canada 6-1, 6-0 and Alexi Humphrey had a 6-0, 6-2 tough outing with Rachel Bercovitch of Canada.

Humphrey, however, tasted some success as she and Anya King of Trinidad and Tobago stopped the Trinidadian pair of Esther James and Carissa Rodulfo, 6-1, 6-1 in doubles play.

Humphrey and King were dismissed by the all-American pair of Kianah Montosono and Zoe Rose Spence, 6-0, 6-0.

Singh also combined with Barbadian Jaimie Lewis to get past Luka and Denee Lyttle, 7-5, 7-5, but had to humble to the duo of Dakota Fordham of the USA and Germany’s Vivien Klen, 6-1, 6-0.

Although they fought valiantly, the male Vincentian representatives of Taj Ballantyne and Imani King, along with brothers Alexander and Sebastian Cyrus were subdued by the more experienced visitors.

Taj Ballantyne got past Cordel Williams of Antigua and Barbuda 6-4, 6-3, but his journey ended in the second round, when he was beaten by Xavier Lawrence of Barbados 6-2, 7-5.

Imani King was ousted in the first round by the USA’s Jack Pulliam 6-2, 6-3, so too was Alex Cyrus, who was beaten 6-0, 6-0, by Zachery Gardener, also of the USA.

In the doubles, King and Ballantyne lost to the Barbadian duo of Gavin Hutchinson and Xavier Lawrence. So too did Alexander and Sebastian Cyrus to Juan Diez of Mexico and Ryan Mueller of Germany.

But it did not end there, as St Vincent and the Grenadines will have representation on the Tobago leg of the circuit, which began yesterday.

Taj Ballantyne, Imani King, Myka Williams and Miguel Francis, as well as the pairs of twin sisters Amarlia and Gabrielle Benn and Denee and Luka Lyttle made the trip.