The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association completed its Subway Junior National Classics yesterday at the National Tennis Centre with Sydney Clarke, Michael Major Jr and Kaylee Kanuka winning the final three titles.

Clarke, 15, cemented her position as the top junior female player in the country with her 6-2, 6-2 win over Gabriela Donaldson in the girls’ 18-and-under singles final.

“My match was great. I love my performance today. I was very calm and all my shots were excellent,” Clarke said. “At the beginning I was a little concerned, but I just relaxed and played my game.”

In the first set, Clarke went up three breaks for a 5-1 lead before Donaldson managed to stay in the match with a break for a 5-2 deficit. But Clarke held serve to secure the set.

When they resumed play for the second set, Clarke got her second break to go up 4-2 and she ended the set on her third break for the match. “I could still work on my serves and my slices,” said Clarke, in critiquing her game. “I also need to improve on my physical fitness and I will be okay.”

Clarke, 15, said the competition was tough in Grand Bahama, but she’s just excited that she was able to survive as the champion.

A little dejected, 17-year-old Donaldson admitted that it wasn’t her best performance.

“It was okay. I wished I could have played better and smarter, but she hit some good shots,” said Donaldson. “I just could have played smarter because she hit some good shots. “I just need to work on staying with the points a little longer.”

Boys’ Under-12 Final

Michael Major Jr secured a 6-1, 6-0 win over Dentry Mortimer Jr to pull off his second victory in their head-to-head match-up for the year. “It was a good match. My strokes were very good. The only thing I could say I didn’t do well in this match was my volley approach,” Major Jr stated. “I missed a lot of my open shots in my volleys.”

Major Jr, a 10-year-old sixth grader at St John’s College, said he played better than the last time he met Mortimer when he won 6-2, 6-2. “It feels good,” stressed Major Jr, who was broken by Mortimer for a 1-1 tie in the first set, but went up a break at 5-1 and held on for the win before he breezed through the second set.

Not only is Major Jr holding his own on the court, but he’s also doing it in the classroom. He has been selected by St John’s College as their representative for the Junior Primary School Student of the Year honours. Congratulations for a job well done.

Mortimer said he felt he could have played better. “I wasn’t concentrating enough. I was getting frustrated,” he said. “I missed a lot of the easy ones.”

Mortimer, an 11-year-old sixth grader at Hillcrest Academy, said he hopes that the next time they meet, the results will be different.

Girls’ Under-12 Final

It appeared as if it was a match-up of David vs Goliath, but this time the taller Kaylee Kanuka prevailed with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over the much shorter Saphirre Ferguson in the girls’ under-12 final.

“It was a good match. We both played well. It was just about keeping the ball in play,” said a confident Kanuka after her victory.

“The wind started acting up and I started hitting my ball long, but I was able to control the shots and hold on for the win.”

The 11-year-old Kanuka, who is in the sixth grader at Meridian School, had no problems pulling of the big points when she needed too.

Ferguson, a nine-year-old fourth grader at Kingsway Academy, gave it her best shot in trying to contain Kanuka.

“I played good. I wasn’t really controlling the balls,” Ferguson said. “I need to control the ball more. I also need to hit the ball higher and longer.”

The champions in the other categories werre decided at the YMCA Gymnasium in Grand Bahama over the weekend. The three matches played above were postponed because of the rain delay.

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association completed its Subway Junior National Classics yesterday at the National Tennis Centre with Sydney Clarke, Michael Major Jr and Kaylee Kanuka winning the final three titles.

Clarke, 15, cemented her position as the top junior female player in the country with her 6-2, 6-2 win over Gabriela Donaldson in the girls’ 18-and-under singles final.

“My match was great. I love my performance today. I was very calm and all my shots were excellent,” Clarke said. “At the beginning I was a little concerned, but I just relaxed and played my game.”

In the first set, Clarke went up three breaks for a 5-1 lead before Donaldson managed to stay in the match with a break for a 5-2 deficit. But Clarke held serve to secure the set.

When they resumed play for the second set, Clarke got her second break to go up 4-2 and she ended the set on her third break for the match. “I could still work on my serves and my slices,” said Clarke, in critiquing her game. “I also need to improve on my physical fitness and I will be okay.”

Clarke, 15, said the competition was tough in Grand Bahama, but she’s just excited that she was able to survive as the champion.

A little dejected, 17-year-old Donaldson admitted that it wasn’t her best performance.

“It was okay. I wished I could have played better and smarter, but she hit some good shots,” said Donaldson. “I just could have played smarter because she hit some good shots. “I just need to work on staying with the points a little longer.”

Boys’ Under-12 Final

Michael Major Jr secured a 6-1, 6-0 win over Dentry Mortimer Jr to pull off his second victory in their head-to-head match-up for the year. “It was a good match. My strokes were very good. The only thing I could say I didn’t do well in this match was my volley approach,” Major Jr stated. “I missed a lot of my open shots in my volleys.”

Major Jr, a 10-year-old sixth grader at St John’s College, said he played better than the last time he met Mortimer when he won 6-2, 6-2. “It feels good,” stressed Major Jr, who was broken by Mortimer for a 1-1 tie in the first set, but went up a break at 5-1 and held on for the win before he breezed through the second set.

Not only is Major Jr holding his own on the court, but he’s also doing it in the classroom. He has been selected by St John’s College as their representative for the Junior Primary School Student of the Year honours. Congratulations for a job well done.

Mortimer said he felt he could have played better. “I wasn’t concentrating enough. I was getting frustrated,” he said. “I missed a lot of the easy ones.”

Mortimer, an 11-year-old sixth grader at Hillcrest Academy, said he hopes that the next time they meet, the results will be different.

Girls’ Under-12 Final

It appeared as if it was a match-up of David vs Goliath, but this time the taller Kaylee Kanuka prevailed with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over the much shorter Saphirre Ferguson in the girls’ under-12 final.

“It was a good match. We both played well. It was just about keeping the ball in play,” said a confident Kanuka after her victory.

“The wind started acting up and I started hitting my ball long, but I was able to control the shots and hold on for the win.”

The 11-year-old Kanuka, who is in the sixth grader at Meridian School, had no problems pulling of the big points when she needed too.

Ferguson, a nine-year-old fourth grader at Kingsway Academy, gave it her best shot in trying to contain Kanuka.

“I played good. I wasn’t really controlling the balls,” Ferguson said. “I need to control the ball more. I also need to hit the ball higher and longer.”

The champions in the other categories werre decided at the YMCA Gymnasium in Grand Bahama over the weekend. The three matches played above were postponed because of the rain delay.