The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IESHA Shepherd said she would like nothing better than to repeat as the champion in the ladies’ division of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s annual Giorgio Baldaccci Open National Challenge.

But there’s a field of six younger challengers, including Sydney Clarke and Elana Mackey, who are looking to dethrone her when the week-long tournament comes to a close Friday at the National Tennis Centre and earn their berth on the Bahamas’ Fed Cup team that will travel to Uruguay in July.

Shepherd, the reigning national champion, pulled off a double dose of victory, knocking off Sydni Kerr 6-2, 6-0 and then holding off Sierra Donaldson 6-4, 6-0 to set the pace for the field of competitors on the first day of competition on Monday.

“I came out of the blocks early with a 2-0 lead, but I sort of lost my momentum,” said Shepherd of her challenge from Donaldson in her second match. “I regrouped as always and won it, but she played very well. I can’t take that away from her. She improved a lot since we last played, but I had to take my game to a higher level in the second set to win.”

Getting started with two victories on the first day of competition, Shepherd said she’s ready to defend her title.

“I just want to play everybody and see exactly where I’m at in the Bahamas and go forward from there,” said Shepherd,, who is back home after a sting overseas playing in a few tournaments.

In her first appearance in the tournament, Sydney Clarke is coming in with a lot of anticipation. She prevailed with a 6-1, 6-4 decision over Afrika Smith. Clarke held a 4-0 lead before Smith got on the scoreboard in the first set. Then in the second set, she held for a 1-0 lead, but after falling behind as Smith held and broke to go up 2-1, Clarke returned the favor when she broke and held to go up 4-3 to eventually secure the match.

“The match was great. I made a lot of unforced errors, but overall, I played okay,” said Clarke, a 10th grader at CR Walker. “You can expect a lot of things from me in this tournament. Once I can cut down on my errors, I will be okay. This is my first time trying out for the Fed Cup team, so I’m hoping that I can make the team.”

Mackey, 15, also pulled of a pair of victories, beating Afrika Smith 6-2, 6-1 and out-lasting Gabriela Donaldson in a keenly contested match 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

“I felt good. I played very good and was hitting a lot of balls very hard and deep and I kept moving the ball around” said Mackey, one of the youngest players in the tournament at age 14. “I didn’t give anybody a break. I felt being offensive and attacking.”

Mackey, a 10th grader at Nassau Christian Academy, said as the tournament progresses, she’s hoping that she can win it, but she know that she can’rt let the victories get to her head.

The tournament continues this morning at 9 am.