[TENNIS]

TENNIS STORY

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (Oct. 28) - The 2003 Grenada Breweries Ltd./Vita Malt Open Tennis Championships is scheduled to be played from Friday November 7 to Saturday November 15, 2003.  The Tournament is due to be played at the Tanteen Tennis Courts in St. George’s.

Entries are now opened for competition in the following Categories:

Þ               Men’s and Women’s singles

Þ               Men’s and Women’s Doubles

Þ               Men’s 40 and Over singles and doubles

Þ               Mixed Doubles

Men’s consolation singles will also be contested for players eliminated in the first round.

Matches will be played from approximately 5:00 p.m. on Friday November 7 following the opening Ceremony, 10:00 a.m. on Saturday November 8, 3 p.m., on Sunday November 9 and from 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday during the week.

Registration Forms are available from the Tanteen Tennis Court Tuck Shop Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sports Zone on Halifax Street Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Players may also register by contacting tournament Director Selma Phillip on telephone Nos. 440 – 2731 (Ministry of Finance); 440 9802 (Home) or Assistant Tournament Director, Richie Hughes on telephone Nos. 440 – 6917 (Ministry of Youth and Sports); 440 – 8819 (Tanteen Tennis Court) or 440 – 2751 (home).

Registration closes Wednesday November 5, 2003 at 6:00 p.m.

Grenada’s junior tennis players returned home following a two-week International Tennis Circuit.

And five of the players returned with silverware on Sunday.

Kevon Charles and Chad Mitchell were beaten finalist in the boys Under-14 doubles while Lois Alexis and J’amor Hercules were also beaten finalists in the girls and boys Under-14 singles consolation respectively at the IBM ITF Junior Circuit Tennis Tournament in Trinidad.

Robin Lett had already boosted her ranking in the girls’ Under-14 singles category with second place finish in the First Caribbean International Bank ITF Junior Circuit in Barbados.

Charles and Mitchell defeated Trinidadians Zayne Clarke and Christopher Koo 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the semi-finals where they were a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Desta Sandy and Jack Su, also of Trinidad.

The Grenadian duo staged a strong opening set against their Vincentian opponents (Kirk Da Silva and Corey Huggins) in the final. They won the first set 7-6 but went down 6-7, 4-6 in the remaining sets.

Lois Alexis easily disposed of Amunu Adogwa and Carissa James of Trinidad and Tobago 8-7 and 8-4 respectively but lost to Charlotte DeSouza also of Trinidad and Tobago, 6-4, 6-1 in the final.

Hercules also overcame two Trinidadian opponents but eventually lost to Jack Su of Trinidad 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Lett and Alexis were in the main draw of 16 but Alexis lost to the eventual champion Analy Guzman of Guatemala (6-0, 6-0) in the second round after both players received first round byes.

Lett, who also received a first round bye, disposed of Chelsea Finnegan of the USA 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 and Alyssa Fuentes of Barbados 6-4, 6-0 but lost to Guzman 6-0, 6-0 in the final.

Team coach Richie Hughes said there is still work to be done with the young players. “I think they would have learnt a lot from those tournaments,” Hughes said.

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