Bicknell looking to put on a show on home soil
FRESH off his hard-fought victory over compatriot Rowland ‘’Randy’’ Phillips last weekend, Jamaica’s number one tennis player Blaise Bicknell will look to continue his winning streak when he competes in the Jamaica ITF M15 Challenge Championships at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre today.
Bicknell, 22, who is ranked 309 in the world, will face Japanese player Kousuke Ogura in his opening match of the tournament, starting at 10 am.
Bicknell, who defeated Phillips 6-4, 7-5 to win the Bounty Invitational Tournament in Ocho Rios on Saturday, is feeling very confident ahead of today’s championship and is looking forward to putting on a good showing for the home fans.
“There are a lot of international players in this tournament, and I am seeded number one, so the expectations are high, but I am confident that I will do well,” said Bicknell. “I won a tournament in Ochi last weekend, so I am feeling confident and I am looking to put on a great showing.”
Ogura, a powerfully built right-handed player, is currently ranked 706 in the world. The tournament has attracted international players from the United States, Canada, Venezuela, Barbados, India, New Zealand, Brazil, and Dominica.
Bicknell noted that the tournament is going to be very exciting because there are many good players competing, making it a pulsating battle for the title.
“The more you win, the more your confidence grows, so I am just looking forward to continuing to improve, keep on winning, and playing more tournaments,” Bicknell added.
“I am expecting a lot of great competition because there are players from all over the world competing, so it should be a really exciting championship over the next few days,” Bicknell noted.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s other competitors in the tournament, John Chin and Daniel Azar, will bow into action on Wednesday, the second day of competition. In the day’s other games, Miles Jones of the United States will take on his compatriot Ezekiel Clark, Emmanuel Munoz from Dominica will battle Andrew Fenty from the US and Alex Jones from the US will oppose his compatriot Ryan Fishback.