Junior tennis hots up at Roberts Tournament

The Roberts Junior Barbados Tennis Association Tournament has served off with an impressive showcase of young talent including Under-18 top seed Xzavier Hastick vying for a place in the final.

Already the tournament which began on Wednesday has delivered intense competition at the National Tennis Centre in Wildey, with top seeded players as well as some young promising talents vying for supremacy.

The early rounds of matches played over the past few days have set the stage for what is expected to be an exciting week of tennis.

In the Boys’ Under-18 Singles, Hastick made a strong statement with an impeccable 6-0, 6-0 win over Xavier Smith-King, and cemented his status as the favourite.

Even though Hastick expectedly dominated so far, the most gripping match of the category saw second seed Aidan Clarke survive a scare against Tyler Davis.

Clarke had to fight back from a set down to win in a nail-biting three-setter, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8), showing heart under pressure against the fearless Davis.

The Boys’ Under-14 singles division has been equally exciting, with top seed Zane Kirton proving his dominance with a clinical 6-0, 6-0 victory over Garrick Pilgrim. Second seed Travis Licorish also looked solid on court, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Brandon Warren, setting up an exciting clash between the top contenders in the next round.

In the Girls’ Under-18 singles, Messiah Austin secured a comfortable 6-1, 6-1 victory over Nyah Lange to advance. Meanwhile, Micah Austin produced an upset by defeating second-seed Nadja Gooding 6-0, 6-3, signalling her determination to contend for the title. The Austin sisters are now on a collision course for what promises to be an exciting final.

In the only final played so far, top-seeded Adai Hope took home the Girls’ Under-14 singles title, defeating second-seed Ava Warner in a commanding 6-4, 6-0 performance.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on key upcoming matchups, especially in the Boys’ Under-18 Singles where Lucas Davis will face top-seed Hastick in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Ethan Warner will go up against Aidan Clarke, with both matches expected to deliver high drama.

With the finals looming, the excitement is building at the Roberts Junior Nationals, which runs through to September 13th. Local tennis supporters are encouraged to come out and support the future stars of Barbadian tennis as they do battle.

(AS)