The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Collegian Justin Roberts, playing directly out of the men’s main draw singles of the Bluewater Bay Pro Circuit Championships, advanced to the second round with his biggest victory so far this year.

The University of South Florida junior, currently ranked at 1,242 on the ATP standings, pulled off a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over 23-year-old No.7 seed American Winston Lin, who is ranked at 873.

The Futures Tournament match was played yesterday on the clay courts at the Bluewater Bay Tennis Center in Niceville, Florida.

Roberts, who turns 20 on December 4, is currently the only Bahamian with any ATP points.

“It was a good match. I started a little slow and I got broken early,” Roberts told The Tribune after the match. “But I felt like I was playing well, so it was good that I got my chances back. I just stuck with it and eventually I got some opportunities and I capitalised on it and got the win.”

Roberts, who said it was a huge win for him, is now awaiting his second-round opponent.

He is scheduled to play the winner of the first match between American Alex Rybakov and German Pimin Haenle.

“I just have to go back to practice and continue to work so hard so that I can give it my best every point I play and see where the results take me,” Roberts said. “But if I can continue to improve the way I have been doing, I know that I can continue to perform very well this year.”

Rodney Carey also participated in the tournament. He won his first round match in the qualifying round with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Enrique Paya Gonzalez of Spain before he got eliminated in the second round, losing 7-5, 6-4 to American Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Carey, who turned 24 on September 23, is still alive in the tournament. He will team up with American Mwendwa Mbithi to play doubles. Their first round opponents will be Americans Patrick Daciek and Dane Webb.

Although he has been performing exceptionally well in doubles for USF, Roberts said the coaching staff has only given him the green light to participate in singles in the tournament.

This is Roberts’ second tournament since returning to school after the summer break.

He played last month in Birmingham, Alabama, where he lost in the second round in qualifying 7-5, 6-2 to Vasilly Kichigin from Russia.

Roberts, however, had an active summer, playing in six tournaments in June and July in Charlottesville, Virginia, Buffalo, New York, Rochester, New York, Saskatoon, Canada, Godfrey, Illinois and Edwardsville, Illinois.

“I feel really good. My results have been improving over the last few months,” Roberts said. “I’ve been working really hard so I’m happy to see that it’s kind of paying off. I’m looking forward to good results the rest of the year.”