The Tribune

THE Bahamas, Mexico, the United States and Barbados competed at the National Tennis Centre in the IC Rod Laver North American Junior Challenge over the weekend.

Team Bahamas consisted of Gabrielle Simms, Peyton Anderson, Jacobi Bain and Denali Nottage. The coach was Neil Mactaggart.

On Saturday, the Bahamas lost to the United States 4-0.

In the boys’ number one singles, Ekansh Kumar def. Bain 6-3, 6-4 and Jacob Esterowitz def. Nottage 6-3, 7-5 in the other singles. On the girls side, Noa Boyd def. Gabrielle Simms 6-3, 6-1 in the No.1 match. while Kalliata Liu def. Anderson 6-3, 6-1.

Mexico won the other match, beating Barbados 4-1. Emiliano Aguilera won their first boys’ singles 6-0, 6-2 over Stephen Slocombe and Miguel Angel Alonso won the other match 6-2, 6-2 over James McKenzie. The two teams split the girls singles.

Gabrielle Leslie of Barbados won the first singles 4-6, 6-3, 13-11 over Maria Martinez, but Ana Paula Martinez of Mexico won 6-0, 6-4 over Chloe Weeks.

Mexico sealed the deal in the boys’ doubles with Aguilera and Alonso winning 6-0, 6-3 over Slocombe and MacKenzie.

On Sunday, Mexico won 5-1 over the Bahamas, while the USA blanked Barbados 6-0.

In the girls’ first singles, Mexico’s Martinez def. Simms 6-0, 6-1 and Ana Paula Martinez def. Peyton Anderson 6-1, 6-0. In the first singles, Emilliano Aguilera def. Jacobi Bain 7-5, 4-6, 13-11 in the first singles and Miguel Angel Alonso def. Denali Nottage 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the other singles.

In the boys’ doubles, Aguilera and Alonso def. Bain and Nottage 2-6, 6-1, 10-3, but Anderson and Simms won by a walk-over over Martinez and Martinez.

The USA’s Noa Boyd won the girls’ first singles 6-0, 6-1 over Gabrielle Leslie and Kalliata Liu won 6-0, 6-1 over Chloe Weeks.

In the boys’ first singles, Ekansh Kumar won 6-2, 6-3 over Stephen Slocombe and Jacob Esterowitz def. James MacKenzie 6-1, 6-4.

The boys’ doubles saw Esterowitz and Kumar win 6-0, 6-2 over MacKenzie and Slocombe, while Boyd and Liu took the girls’ doubles 6-4, 6-2 over Leslie and Weeks.

The tournament ended yesterday when the Bahamas played Barbados and the United States played Mexico. The winner will advance. No results were available up to press time.

The competition featured top players 16 years of age and under in the North American grouping.