Cain, Harrison shine at WATA Junior Tennis
TWO OF Jamaica’s promising junior tennis players, Damani Cain and Jenna Harrison, stole the spotlight last weekend and took top honours in the WATA Open Junior Tennis Championships which ended at the Liguanea Club last Monday evening.
The tournament, which was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, was dogged by rain over the weekend, and this caused several delays and a postponement of the finals from Sunday to Monday.
Cain, 15, who has been playing consistently good tennis throughout the year, was in good form and had good victories in the semi-finals over Keyondre Clarke and in the finals against his Wolmers schoolmate Romeo Edwards. Clarke, who has also been having a good year, was expected to push Cain in the match, but this did not happen. Cain produced excellent tennis throughout the match, and won 6-2, 6-0. In the finals against Edwards, he had to work harder, but came out the victor, 6-1, 6-4.
Harrison, also 15, was highly favoured to take the Girls’ 16 and Under title and did not disappoint. She won her semi-final against Kalen Jade Wiggon 8-0. In the other semi-final, talented nineyear-old Alyssa James defeated Hayley McNair 6-2, 6-1 to book a place in the final. Harrison was somewhat subdued in the final, but played steady tennis to defeat James 6-2, 6-2.
Twelve-year-old Daniel Azar played mature tennis to get by Joshua Graveney 6-4, 6-4 in the Boy’s 14 and Under, while 13 year-old Alicia Pairman took the girls’ title in this age group, 7-5, 1-0 (default), in her match against Gabrielle Bernard.
Joel Villoria defeated Joshua Lym 8-6 in a hard-fought match to take the boys’ 12 and Under title and Jahmarie Swan defeated Jonathan De Peralto 6-3 to win the Boys’ 12 and Under Consolation title.