The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE field is complete for the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s 2021 Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals with a total of eight women and 17 men entered in the week-long tournament scheduled to begin on Monday at the National Tennis Centre.

Confirmed to participate on the women’s side are Fed Cup player/ captain Kerrie Cartwright, fellow team-mates and collegians Sydney Clarke, Sierra Donaldson and Elana Mackey, along with Grand Bahamian Simone Pratt and junior players Maddison Bowleg, Sierra Rodgers and Sapphire Ferguson.

The field of 16 players on the men’s side include Kevin Major Jr, Baker Newman, Marvin Rolle, Spencer Newman, Rodney Carey Jr, Donte Armbrister, Kofi Bowe, Michael Major Jr, Denali Nottage, Dentry Mortimer Jr, Jeffery Thompson, Sharano Hanna, Vontenken Rolle, Chris Godet, Anthony Burrows Jr, Savano Hanna and Nathan Thompson.

The tournament, which serves as a trial for the men’s Davis Cup and ladies’ Billie Jean King Cup, signifies the diversity of the players in the programme, according to BLTA president Perry Newton.

“We have a lot of veteran players returning on the men’s side. Leading that charge is Kevin Major Jr, brothers Baker and Spencer Newman, as well as veteran Davis Cup player and captain Marvin Rolle,” Newton said.

“We also have Donte Armbrister and Rodney Carey Jr, who will also be involved in the pool. There is also a good core of up and coming young players who will be trying to get one of those positions. So we’re excited to put on this tournament after the break in 2020.”

On the women’s side, Newton said that there are only eight, but it’s an elite group of players to watch.

“Heading the field will be Kerrie Cartwright, our Billie Jean King player/captain, Sydney Clarke, Simone Pratt and Sierra Donaldson, along with some of our up and coming young players. So we’re really excited about this year’s field. “The Bahamas has moved up in the ranking in the Fed Cup and the Davis Cup based on the performances they had this year, so I think the players are all ignited so we are looking forward to a good event.”

At the conclusion of the event, Newton said the BLTA should have an idea of what the teams look like going into the international competitions next year. He said the tournament will also set the stage for any national tournament scheduled for next year as they work through COVID-19 protocols.

The rules for the tournament have been set. They are as follows:

• Format will be single elimination played to the best of three tiebreak sets.
• Feed in back draw will be played to determine all final positions.
• A 15-minute default rule will be enforced for all matches.
• The two finalists in both the men’s and women’s draws are eligible to serve on the 2022 Davis Cup/Billie Jean King Cup teams.
• The top four players will be seeded in a 32-draw on the men’s side and the top two players will be seeded in an 8-draw on the women’s side.
• Seeding will take the following order: 1. ATP/ WTA ranking 2. ITF world ranking 3. 2021 Davis Cup/ Billie Jean King Cup Team positioning 4. National ranking, and 5. Any other relevant information. ITF rules and code of conduct will be in effect for all matches. * Players must complete the Tournament to be eligible to serve on the 2022 Davis Cup/ Billie Jean King Cup Team.
• Players are responsible for checking https://blta.net for daily order of play and match times. *Decisions are final as per the Referee.