Under-14 ITF tennis at Complex

At least 11 countries will be sending 22 boys and 16 girls to take part in the event in both singles and doubles competition.

Tournament Director Christine Alcazar said that each country has been allowed three players except hosts Trinidad and Tobago who will have three boys and girls on their team.

The players include Liam Gomez, Jerome Branker and Jovani Lewis among the boys; and Raye Ann Sandy, Akeela Smith and Cheyenne Lutchman among the girls.

Anthony Jeremiah, the Tennis Association’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) told a media conference yesterday at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo that Trinidad and Tobago have won the competition for three consecutive years before being dethroned last year.

He pointed out that the Tennis Association had taken the decision to allow some of the younger and less experience players the opportunity to play last year. He said although they did not win the players gave a good performance.

According to Alcazar, the tournament is aimed at exposing the young talent in the region and also allows them the opportunity to play each other for a top Caribbean ranking. The tournament will be contested in a round-robin format on the first two days.

In the singles category the results will be used to determine whether or not they will advance to the main draw or into the consolation phase.

The singles will be played in a best-of-three sets, with a third set tie-breaker being used in the event that matches end at one-set each.

Anthony Jamerson, the tournament referee said that the tie-breaker will also be used as the final decider in the matches.

He pointed out that because of the number of boys in the competition (22), 12 players will advance to the main draw while eight will make the cut in the girls’ category.

The participating countries are Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Netherland Antilles, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, the United States Virgin Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.