Nimron Daniel retains road tennis title

NIMRON DANIEL retained the men’s open title of the Capita Financial Road Tennis Blast when the 2018 edition ended last Sunday evening at the South River Methodist School hard court.

Facing Terrance Prescott in the final, Daniel won in 2-1 (16/21, 21/14, 21/16).

Daniel, who won last year’s title and was a losing semi-finalist when the inaugural competition took place in 2016, pocketed $2000 cash prize.

Prescott, who won the inaugural competition in 2016, but did not defend his title last year, was presented with $1000.

FEMALE OPEN WINNER- Samantha Lynch (right), gets her prize from Capita Financial representative

Before getting to the finals, Daniel had beaten Omarion Samuel, 2-1(21/16, 16/21, 21/16), while Prescott overcame Sean Stanley 21/15, 21/8. Both losing semi-finalists got $250 each.

While Daniel was having his second title, Samantha Lynch finally got to win the women’s title, having been beaten in the 2016 and 2017 finals by Maudlyn Blunt, who did not defend her title.

In last Sunday’s women’s title match, Lynch overcame Unica Velox 2-1(17/21, 22/20, 21/17).

KRISTIANA CHRISTOPHER (right) accepts her winnings from Capita Financial representative

Lynch got to the final, by ousting last year’s Under- 16 winner- Anastacia White, 2-0 ( 21/16, 23/21), with Velox beating Roxanne Williams 2-1 ( 16/21, 21/18, 22/20).

Like Lynch, Tyreke Gage, who had to settle for the runner-up spot in 2017, going under to Ahijah Blunt in the final, make good of his meeting with Paulson Mack, in the final of the Under-16 male category.

Gage trumped 21/12, 21/19, as Mack, who was the first winner of the then male Under-18 bracket, two years ago, had to settle for the runner up spot.

Gage had an easy passage to the semi-final, when Denzil Bascombe did not show and saw off Matthew Jackson 2-0 (21/2, 21/16) to set up the showdown with Mack.

In the other half of the semi-finals, Mack beat Tayon Burgin, 21/11, 21/12.

And, Kristiana Christopher too, went one better than her 2017 returns, as she champed the female Under-16 title.

Christopher’s 21/18, 21/19 win over Kendra Findlay, handed her the first place.

TYREKE GAGE (right), male Under-16 winner is being presented with his winnings by Capita Financial representative

Christopher who lost out to Anastacia White in last year’s final, had swished Ilene Joseph 21/14, 21/6 in their semi-final square off, while Findlay got past Kyila Miller 21/13, 21/7, in the other semi-final.

Twenty- seven players contested the third edition of the competition.

Run by the Profession Road Tennis Association, head of the association- Dale Clarke had indicated their intent to make the 2019 SVG Blast, a global event.

Clarke, whose father is Vincentian, revealed that the next edition would see an increase in prize monies in all categories, as a means of attracting players from within the region, as well as beyond.