Cain, Gentle star at 2019 Touch Tuina Blue Mountain Caribbean Junior Tennis Championships
JAMAICA’S Damani Cain and Afruica Gentle of Guyana emerged respective champions of the boys’ and girls’ Under-18 singles at the third staging of the 2019 Touch Tuina Blue Mountain Caribbean Junior Tennis Championships, which ended at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston recently.
Cain topped the round-robin format by winning his three matches. He won 25 games and lost eight. Mcnair was second with two matches won and one lost, winning 21 games and losing 13.
Cain’s three wins were against Russell Fairman 4-0, 4-0; Cole Mcnair 5-4, 4-1, and Nathan Cooper 4-0, 4-1.
The Wolmer’s Boys’ School student has been the dominant local player in the 18 and under category, and he was happy to have won.
Gentle won her four round-robin matches 4-0 in the 18 and under singles. She won 32 games while losing three games to beat Kailey Chin of Jamaica, who won two matches and lost two. She won 21 games while losing seven
games.
The Guyanese defeated Kailey Chen 4-1, 4-0, Laurenne Mottley 4-0, 4-1, Kalila Morris 4-1, 4-0, and Annchal Khemlani 4-1, 4-0 to win the title with eight points.
Meanwhile, the boys’ 16 and under final was won by Jamaica’s Delano Reeves, who defeated his compatriot Russell Fairman in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.
The boys’ 14 and under singles was won by Reeves, who defeated Kaiel Casserly 5-7, 6-1, 10-6 in the super tie-breaker set.
Courtney Chin from Jamaica defeated Gabrielle Christian from Jamaica in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 to win the girls’ 14 and under final.
Christian won the girls’ 12 and under round-robin format competition. She won her three matches for a record of 17 games won and four lost, while Shadae Parkinson from Jamaica finished second, winning 17 games and losing 10.
Casserly was the winner of the Boys’ 12 and under singles title after winning three matches and losing one. He won 24 games and lost one. Danil Moe from Jamaica finished second winning two matches and losing one for 17 games won, while losing eight games.
Tournament organiser Llockett Mcgregor said the championship gave the players the opportunity to prepare themselves for participation in the Jamaica Invitational International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Tournament.