The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SEVERAL of the island nation’s elite junior tennis players are attempting to qualify among the top teams in the region for the World Junior Tennis Championships.

The team of Anthony Burrows Jr, Michael Major Jr and Dentry Mortimer Jr remain winless at the Boys’ Under-14 North/Central America and Caribbean Pre-Qualifying event in Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic. The Bahamas suffered a 2-1 loss to El Salvador yesterday as the group stage continued.

Burrows opened singles play with a win over Andres Rendon 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-3 followed by Major’s 6-2, 6-1 loss to Cesar Cruz.

The match was decided in doubles play when Burrows and Mortimer lost to Cruz and Sebastian Pineda 6-2, 6-4.

The Bahamas is in Group C along with Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador.

The Bahamas opened play with a 0-3 loss to No.5 Costa Rica. Burrows began play in singles with a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Javier Araya while Major followed with a three-set loss to Adrian Quiros 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Burrows and Mortimer fell to Araya and Andres Caceres 6-7(6), 6-3.

In match two, the Bahamas suffered a 2-1 loss to No.4 Trinidad and Tobago. Major won the team’s first match of the tournament with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over Luca Shamsi, but Burrows lost 6-4, 6-4 to Jamal Alexis. The duo followed with a loss to Alexis and Saqiv Williams 6-7(4), 6-4, 10-6.

The ITF World Junior Tennis competition, the international team competition for players aged 14 and under, was started by the ITF in 1991.

The top 16 boys’ and girls’ teams from regional qualifying compete for the title with over 100 countries represented in the opening stages of the competition.

The 2018 Finals were held in Prostejov, Czech Republic. The current champions are American boys and Russian girls.

A number of the past participants have gone on to become household names on the ATP and WTA tours. Former winners in the boys’ event include Rafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, while Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters have appeared in the girls’ event.

In order to reach the Finals every nation, with the exception of the host nation, must win through regional qualifying. There are five qualification zones - Africa, North/Central America, South America, Europe and Asia/Oceania.