The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOR the past nine years, the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) has provided local junior players the opportunity to participate against their peers from around the world in the ITF Junkanoo Bowl Tennis Tournament.

Featuring more than 120 players from about 20 countries around the world, as far as Korea, Europe, the United States and the Caribbean, the tournament is all set to get started with the qualifying round 9am Saturday.

The main draw is slated to begin on Monday, but BLTA president Derron Donaldson said throughout the week-long tourney, the country will benefit greatly from the sports tourism aspect with the visiting players occupying the various hotels.

"It will also give our junior players the international exposure here at home, which is a minimum cost to them," he said. "If they were to go away to an ITF Tournament, they are looking at plane ticket, hotel and food. It's very expensive.

"So we're looking at it as a way to get the exposure for our kids here, get international points ranking and see how they compare against the kids from all over the world."

The ranked player in the girls' division is Valeria Salazar of Mexico, who is pegged at No. 255 in the world. The top boy is Juan Sebastian Marino from Colombia, who is No. 275.

Donaldson noted that had Simone Pratt not been accepted to compete in another tournament, she would have been the top seeded player on the girls' side with a ranking of No. 179.

Last year, Pratt got to the final of this tournament and she was a previous winner of the 14s. A number of players, including Kevin Major and Christian Cargill, have all held their own playing in the tournament in the past.

"The tournament has been successful, giving these kids the exposure to compete here at home against these visiting players from all over the world," Donaldson said.

Based on the entry list, according to ITF tournament director Mickey Williams, the tournament will have its biggest draw ever with the deepest pool of players that have an international ranking.

"The tournament is really a developmental tool," Williams said. "Over the years, we've had numerous players who have excelled in this tournament and have gone on to play college tennis."

Williams highlighted Rodney Carey, who is now playing on the men's team at the Davis Cup tie in Trinidad & Tobago this week.

He also noted that while the Bahamas has not been as successful, there are many players from the other countries who have gone on to play at the professional level.

"If you look at the Davis Cup rosters on the teams playing in Trinidad & Tobago, they all boast of junior players, many of whom played in tournaments like these in the region. Our team is a prime example," Williams said.

Kim O'Hara, representing the BLTA's junior development programme, said there are three Bahamian players who made it to the main draw on their own merit. They are Christian Cargill and Kevin Major, both of whom are in Cuba playing in a tournament, and Danielle Thompson.

The main draw wild cards were given to four boys and four girls. Bahamians Shaquielle Taylor, Rasheed Carey, Jody Turnquest and Philip Major, who is currently playing on the Davis Cup team, got the boys' spots.

Ariel Strachan, Gabrielle Bowe, Dominique Mortier and Chelsea Russell got the girls' spots.

A number of Bahamians have earned spots to play in the qualifying round of the boys and girls.

O'Hara added that when the players participate in such tournaments, they develop a world ranking that enables them to secure athletic scholarships for colleges and the ITF also considers the players for its future programmes.

"So we are really trying to encourage our players to participate in events like these, especially the 14s because the ITF likes to look at players at this level to give them grants. This is very, very helpful for our juniors here."

George Baxter, who is conducting the 14s segment of the tournament, noted that the players will participate in a round robin segment, which will allow them to play a lot more matches than the players in the 18s, who are eliminated once they lose. The players will also have games with shorter scores than the older players.