The Tribune

THE favoured seeds all advanced through to the quarter-final and semi-final of their respective draws following the opening day of competition at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci National Open Tennis Tournament.

In the men’s singles draw, top overall seed Baker Newman and No.2 Kevin Major Jr already received their byes to the quarter-finals and were joined by six other winners from round one.

In the first matches on court, Marvin Rolle defeated Archie Burrows 6-0, 6-0 and Jacobi also advanced to the quarter-finals to face the aforementioned Newman with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Cory Francis.

Rolle will face No.3 Phillip Major Jr who defeated Mcgregor Woodside 6-1, 6-0.

Spencer Newman defeated Donte Armbrister 6-3, 6-0 and No.4 Justin Lunn topped Rodney Carey Jr 6-2, 6-1. Newman and Lunn will now face off in the quarter-finals.

Perry Newton advanced leading 6-0, 2-0 when Patrick Brown retired and will go on to face the No.2 seed Kavin Major Jr.

In the women’s quarterfinals, the top seeds both delivered dominant performances to advance. No.1 Kerrie Cartwright won 6-0, 6-1 over Afrika Smith and No.2 Sydney Clarke also won 6-1, 6-0 over Kinza Johnson.

Larikah Russell advanced with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Sierra Donaldson and Elena Mackey won 6-1, 6-0 over Perjae Major.

Cartwright and Mackey will meet in one half of the semi-finals while Clarke and Rusell will face each other on the opposite side of the draw.

At the end of the tournament on Saturday, the top two finishers will join Justin Roberts on the Bahamas’ Davis Cup team for 2020.

Roberts has already secured his berth on the team as the Bahamian with the highest International Tennis Federation rankings in the top 800.

The three players will be joined by the fourth player who will be selected at another tournament that will be played before the Davis Cup tie is staged in April.

The tournament also acts as a qualifier for the ladies’ Fed Cup team.

The Fed Cup is scheduled for Panama in June while there is no venue set for the Davis Cup that will also take place in June.

The Bahamas will be playing in Group Two in the Fed Cup and Zone III in the men’s Davis Cup.