The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Team Bahamas got out to a favourable start at the Compass North American IC 16 and Under Junior Challenge.

The mixed doubles team of Jacobi Bain and Sydney Clarke won the decisive match to take the win over Mexico (Red Team) at Club Raquetas Bosques, in Mexico City, Mexico.

Donte Armbrister began with a 6-1, 6-2 singles win, followed by Bain with a 6-0, 6-2 win in his match.

The duo paired up to take their doubles match 6-1, 6-3. In the girls' matches, Clarke lost her singles match 6-7, 5-7 and Elana Mackey also suffered a 1-6, 5-7. They would go on to lose in doubles 2-6, 2-6 as Mexico evened the mark.

Bain and Clarke decided the tie with a 10-4 win over Mexico.On day two, the Bahamas faced Mexico (White Team) and will face the USA in today's match.

The winning team will advance to the Compass Worldwide Finals in Tokyo, Japan October 8-12, 2018 with winning teams from other continents.

In 2013, Armbrister, Bain, Clarke and Mackey teamed up at the "Inaugural ITF/GSDF 12U Team Championship" for the English-Speaking Caribbean in Jamaica.

IC of the Bahamas President Kit Spencer outlined the Bahamas' recent involvement and success with the organisation in recent years.

"This year we held our fourth International Bahamas IC Doubles Week in January which The USA won closely with our Bahamas team in second place. Shortly after, we went to Florida for The Gene Scott Trophy between the USA and The Bahamas. This we managed to win and reverse the result of the IC Doubles Week event. Our domestic IC Winter Invitational league continues each year," he said in a statement on the organisation's website.

"We invite a team of the best juniors from our National Tennis Centre to participate which they look forward to. It gives them experience against older players and introduces them to the IC. This IC League is now themed "Hands across the net, friendship across the island".

"This year they must have wanted to win as for several matches they included on their team a current senior Davis Cup player who trains there with some of the top juniors. Our members have been active in staging special coaching events for juniors which our vice president Neil Mactaggart has helped mastermind and oversee."

The Bahamas' junior programme has a recent history of impressive performances with IC Tennis. In 2015, the team of Iesha Shepherd, River Hart, O'Neal Mortimer and Jack Kelly finished second at the IC North American 16 & Under Junior Challenge held in Washington, DC.

They defeated Mexico and Bermuda but eventually lost to the United States in the final.