Top junior talent on show in Lease Operators tennis

The future of tennis in Trinidad and Tobago got their first opportunity to take the court in the New Year as the 2004 Lease Operators Limited Junior Tennis Tournament began last weekend at the PSA Tennis Centre, St James. The tournament features the top junior talent of Trinidad and Tobago in competition against each other on the weekends up to January 31. However play last Saturday was hampered by early morning rains. Voted “Most Promising Player” at the Tennis Association of Trinidad and Tobago’s (TATT) recent 2003 awards ceremony, Lee Ann Lingo cemented her nomination with a 8-6 victory over Nalini Maharaj.

And later she registered the same score to beat Christina Bennett on Sunday in the Girls 12 and Under division. Similarly Johnathan Gouveia showed why he should be named “Most Improved Male Player” as he dispatched Dawoud Kabli 8-5 on Saturday. The 2003 “Rookie of the Year” was also particularly aggressive when he stranded Terryl Rajkumar 6-1, 6-0 show last Saturday in the Boys 14 and Under division. On Sunday Brash came back to the court in the same spirit that he left the day before and wasted no time as he was untroubled by Jerome Branker, emerging the straight set, 6-2, 6-0, victor. Richard Chung recieved the “Most Outstanding Player 14 and Under” accolade at the ceremony on Saturday but was not called upon to demonstrate why as he took full points on a walk over, National Open finalist Simeon Sealy had better luck an he embraced the opportunity beating Lendl Smith 6-0, 6-4 in the Boys 18 and Under division. Jerome Ward showed his gratitude for being judged the “Most Outstanding Player 18 and Under” 2003 with a celebratory 6-1, 6-0 stifling of Matthew De Gannes.

Shennelle Mohammed the girls “Most Outstanding Player 14 and Under” had a little trouble in the first set with Sanian Lewis who took the 2003 “Sportsman-ship Award” among the women but put a strong thrust in the second set to win 7-6, 6-1. The judgement of the TATT is being justified by the performances of their awardees in their first outing for the year and this can only auger well for their progress in the 2004 season.
Following are the full results from the weekend’s play.

On Saturday
Under-10: Girls:Annabelle Castagne defeated Olivia Johnston 8-0; Kaeleigh De Silva defeated Laura Teixeira 8-1.
Boys: Jabrille Kabli defeated Alix Catermore 8-0;  James Mitchell defeated Chase Paul 8-5.
Under-12:
Girls: Christina Bennett defeated Cheyenne Lutchman 8-5; Lee Ann Lingo defeated Nalini Maharaj 8-6.
Boys: Johnathan Gouveia defeated Dawoud Kabli 8-5; John Lutchman defeated Spencer Clayman 8-1; Keegan De Silva defeated Craig Horricks 8-0; Karl Pilstl defeated Jarred Maharaj 8-0; ; Kyle Delzin defeated Johnathan Lancer 8-4.
Boys Under-14: Jerome Branker defeated Adam Talma 6-1, 6-1; Joel Horricks defeated Drew Clayman 6-0, 6-2; Christopher Brash defeated Terryl Rajkumar 6-1, 6-0.
Under-16: Girls: Tamara Daharu defeated Elizabeth Cambridge 8-4; Amunu Adogwa defeated Annalisa Hamel-Smith 8-6; ; Renee Cruickshank defeated Brittany Nahous 8-4.
Boys: Aasan Lewis defeated Krys Gray 8-4; Jarred Gouveia defeated Brad Wallace 8-7.
Boys Under-18: Matthew De Gannes defeated Kaedi George-Newman 6-4, 6-3.
On Sunday
Under-10: Boys: Timothy Trestrail defeated Andrew Ferreira 8-4; James Mitchell defeated Alix Catermore 8-0; Jabrille Kabli defeated Chase Paul 8-6.
Girls: Olivia Mitchell defeated Laura Teixiera 8-0;Kaeleigh De Silva defeated Olivia Johnson 8-0.
Girls Under-12: Emily Aboud defeated Kennell Teesdale 8-4, Lee Ann Lingo defeated Christina Bennett 8-6; Nalini Maharaj defeated Cheyenne Lutchman 8-7.
Girls Under-16: Tamara Daharu defeated Annalisa Hamel-Smith 8-4; Elizabeth Cambridge defeated Renee Cruickshank 8-2; Amunu Adogwa defeated Brittany Nahous 8-7.
Boys Under-14: Christopher Brash defeated Jerome Branker 6-2, 6-0; Christopher Koo defeated Stefan Mayers 6-4, 6-4; Joel Horricks defeated Benjamin Marten 7-6, 6-2; Ryan Gomez defeated Alex Daharu 6-2, 6-3
Boys Under-16: Aasan Lewis defeated Matthew Adamira 8-1
Under-18: Girls: Shennelle Mohammed defeated Sanian Lewis 7-6, 6-1.
Boys: Kino Francis defeated Mikhail Singh 6-1, 6-1; Richard Chung defeated Brent Kuei Tung (walkover); Simeon Sealy defeated Lendl Smith 6-0, 6-4; Jerome Ward defeated Matthew De Gannes 6-1, 6-0.