The Tribune

A positive test for the coronavirus by one of their opponents enabled Bahamian Justin Roberts and his close friend and long-time partner Jody Maginley to advance to the semifinal of the men’s doubles in the Legacy Bank NWA Tennis Series.

Roberts and Maginley, unseeded in the tournament being played in Fayetteville, Arkansas, advanced through yesterday’s quarter-finals with a walkover victory against the American duo of Justin Butsch and Alex Rybakov.

Apparently Butsch tested positive for COVID-19, thus he and Rybakov had to withdraw from the match, allowing Roberts and Maginley to secure their second straight victory in the tournament.

“It was very unfortunate. We knew those guys and so we knew that we were going to be in for a tough match,” Roberts said. “But it was unfortunate that they can’t compete today and in the coming weeks, so it was just unfortunate all around.”

Maginley, on the other hand, said it was quite disappointing that they didn’t get to play, but they can only wish the best to Butsch as he goes through his recovery process and that they will get to see him back on the court very soon.

Roberts said he and Maginley, who both got ousted in the final round of the qualifying segment of singles, are being cautious, but their goal is still to go and play as well as they can and hopefully they will be successful in the tournament.

On Wednesday, Roberts and Maginley pulled off a 7-6 (6), 6-3 upset win over the No.2 seeds Boris Arias from Bolivia and Ricardo Rodriquez from Venezuela in their first round match.

The duo, who began playing doubles on the pro circuit about three years ago, will now prepare for their semifinal match today. If they are successful, the final will be played on Saturday.

“We’re comfortable playing together as team-mates,” said Roberts of the relationship that began about 10 years ago when they first played against each other in singles.

“We’re good friends, so we complement each other on the court. There is never any conflict off the court. It’s a good partnership and we hope that we can continue it in the future.”

Maginley, who like Roberts is the top seeded player in his country, said ever since they first played in the under-14 division, they became close friends and now they have extended that relationship on and off the court in the pro ranks.

“We are now room-mates, so we know each other’s game better than anyone else,” Maginley pointed out. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so we hope to use that on the court.”

Although they haven’t played since March, Roberts said they just have to continue working on their game and their success at the top of the chart will eventually come.

“We both serve well and our return game is good, so it’s just a matter of time before we pull it all together and be successful,” projected Roberts, who stands at six feet.

Maginley, who is taller at 6-4, insisted that he’s not going to put any pressure or expectations on their tandem, but rather take it one day at a time and see what transpires.

“We haven’t played in a tournament since March, so we’re just trying to get used to playing matches again,” Maginley stated.

“There’s no real expectations, but we hope that we can continue to play well in this tournament.”

As the only two players from the Caribbean playing in the tournament, Maginley said they are looking forward to the day when there are other players from the region joining them.

But for now, they are eager to hold their own on the court.

Roberts, 23, is currently ranked at 796 in the world in singles.

He’s a graduate of Arizona State University after transferring for his senior year from the University of South Florida.

Maginley, 25, is 657. He played collegiately at Northern Kentucky.