Tennis juniors in best ITF finish

TRINIDAD and Tobago junior tennis team were edged 2-1 by hosts Guatemala in their pre-qualifying North/Centeal America and Caribbean Zone World Junior Tennis Tournament in Guatemala City.

The Trinidadians levelled the tie 1-1 when national #1 Michael Clarke defeated Guatemalan ace and favourite Christian Saravia 6-4, 7-5, after Richard Chung was beaten by Sebastian Vidal 7-6, 6-0. But in the deciding doubles, the Guatemalan pair of Savasria and Vidal whipped Clarke and Simeon Sealy 6-3, 6-2 to advance to play United States, Mexico and Canada in Miami. The the team for the April 28-May 3 tie comprised six of this country’s top junior players — Clarke, Chung, Sealy, Olivia Bennett, Yolande Leacock and Kiran Pereira. But Trinidad and Tobago girls reached an all-time high third place when they beat Dominican Republic 2-1.

Kiran Pereira gave the Trinidadians a good start, coming back from 4-1 down to defeat Carol Zapata 7-5, 6-2, but Dominican Republic #1 seed Francesca Segarelli beat Olivia Bennett 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to level the tie 1-1. But the pair of Bennett and Leacock whipped Segarelli and Zapata 6-3, 7-5 in the deciding doubles match. Eight teams including hosts Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago contested the series. The tournament is an International Tennis Federation Under-14 boys and girls series for Central American and Caribbean countries, which has produced ATP stars as Gustavo Kuerten, Michael Chang, Goran Ivanosevic and Kim Clijsters.