Sat | Dec 28, 2024

Access AJ Junior Tennis ends today

Published:Saturday | July 1, 2017 | 12:00 AMLeroy Brown

Several of Jamaica's top junior tennis players will go after titles today starting at 9 o'clock this morning, when the curtain comes down on the 2017 Access 
Financial Services All Jamaica junior tennis tournament, at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre. There will be semi-finals in the morning, to be followed by the finals in the
afternoon.

There were some close and exciting matches yesterday, but the one that evoked most interest was the clash between top juniors, John Chin and John Azar Jr in
the boys 18 and under singles. This was a very close encounter between two highly ranked and tenacious players. Chin entered the game as a slight favourite,
but Azar, who is always a fighter, battled him all the way before bowing out 5-7, 5-7. 

Azar used his all court game to good advantage, but Chin attacked his back-hand consistently, prevented him from using the slice, which is one 
of his major point winners, and won the crucial points when they mattered most.
Chin told The Sunday Gleaner afterwards, that " it was a tough match. John is a fighter, so I had to use my forehand power shots, to keep him on the defensive, and also prevent him from using his slice shots as much as possible. I am pleased that I was able to get this victory."

The girls also produced some excellent matches. Jenna Harrison scored an emphatic victory over USA-based Valaine Clarke who is the highest ranked Jamaican junior
player in the ITF under 18, 6-1, 6-4 and Michaela Stephens, who returned this week from a six-month coaching stint in Canada, scored victories over Haley McNair in the girls
18 and under 6-1, 6-0 and then defeated Moesha Fox 7-5, 6-1 in the girls 16 and under.

Selena Bird, who is only 11 years old, was back in action yesterday, after defeating No. 2 seed Emma Dibbs 6-2, 6-2 in the girls 18 and under on Friday.Yesterday, she defeated Aanchal Khelmani 6-3, 6-0 in the girls 16 and under.