Stephens, Cain top junior tourney
Published:Tuesday | May 19, 2015 | 5:49 PMLeroy Brown
Micheala Stephens, who is 12 years, and 13-year-old Damani Cain, were the outstanding players as the 2015 Hy-Lyte Open Junior Tennis Championships ended at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston, last Sunday afternoon.
Stephens won the girls 16 and Under title with a 6-0, 1-1 (retired) victory over Olivia Simms, while Cain fought off a determined challenge from Tariq Simon to take the boys' 16 and Under title, 6-3, 6-4.
The tournament attracted 15 entries and competition was keen throughout. Stephens, who is a very promising junior and has represented Jamaica in several tournaments, had a scare in the semi-finals from another talented junior, Jenna Harrison. In a hard fought first set, Harrison had spectators transfixed when she took it 7-5.
The diminutive Stephens remained calm, however, and applied the screws quickly in the second set. She broke Harrison early and never looked back, taking the second set 6-1. She then went on to win the hard fought super tie-break 10-8. This was one of the best matches of the tournament.
Simms got to the final with an upset victory over Emma Dibbs, 6-4, 6-2.
In the final against Simms, Stephens was dominant. She reeled of the first set 6-0 and they were locked at 1-1 in the second when Simms complained of not feeling well and retired.
In the Under-16 for boys, Cain stormed through the semi-finals with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Shayne Miller, while Simon defeated Ruben Pinchas 6-1, 6-2.
one step ahead
There were some good rallies in the final between Cain and Simon, but the winner was always able to keep one step ahead of his plucky rival.
In the boys' 10 and Under, Kaiel Casserly had a walk-over victory, when an ill Zane Maher had to default.
In the boys' 12 and Under, Keyon'dre Clarke defeated Jordan Vaz 5-7, 6-0 (10-1), while Ryan Cox defeated Norman Black 0-6, 6-3, (10-5) in the boys' 14 and Under
In the other events for girls, Eva Pinchas defeated Thandie Sampson 3-0 in the 10 and Under, while Moesha Fox defeated Marli Rowe 6-2, 6-4 in the 14 and Under.