Stone singles champion

Shane Stone is the 2004 Evian National Open Tennis Championships men’s singles champion after a weekend of fierce competition at the  Port-of-Spain Public Courts. Stone whipped Ivor Grazette 6-4, 6-2 yesterday as the annual championships continued. Stone beat Rodney Ross to advance to the semi-final while Ivor Grazette beat Richard Brown 6-4, 6-4 an hour before the 4.30 pm final to defend his title against Stone.

Stone, who after his first game of the championships said he was playing his way into the tournament, remarked that he found his legs in the two matches that followed the opener. Out of the game from February to July with a stress fracture Stone’s three-match day on Saturday highlighted a need for him to be efficient against Grazette who he added always plays well whenever they meet, alluding to the fact that they probably draw off of each other’s energy on court.

The win marked Stone’s successful return to the local game after a hiatus begun in 1997 and with focus on his first step back on home soil. In other matches Cuffy/Mc Letchie beat Awai/Ross in a Men’s Doubles quarter-final 7-6 (2), 6-3 women’s doubles match Adogwa/Liverpool beat Forde/Roach 6-4, 6-1, the Mixed Doubles pair of Villaroel/Mohammed beat Perkins/Mc Guire 6-3, 6-2. Athelstan Phillips beat Clayton Wilson 6-2, 6-2, Mike Irish beat Michael Meikle 6-0, 6-1 and Martin Peters beat Simon Everest 6-4, 6-3 as the Veterans Singles continued yesterday. See Page 34.