The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN a number of first-time partnerships, Marvin Rolle and his uncle Larry Rolle emerged as the men’s doubles champions of the inaugural Welsey Rolle Memorial Invitational Tournament yesterday at the Baha Mar Tennis Centre.

Marvin Rolle also teamed up with Barbara Carey as they captured the mixed doubles. Carey also picked up her second title as she paired up with versatile Larikah Russell for the ladies’ doubles crown.

The thrill of victory

When he heard about the tournament, Marvin Rolle said he felt there was no better person to team up with than his uncle Larry Rolle so that they could keep the title in their family as they honour his deceased uncle. They did it by doubling the pair of Livio Bisterzo and Alexander Myrbach 12-6.

“It was a good experience to play with him,” said Marvin Rolle before he was interrupted by Larry Rolle, who added that “this is the real deal.” He emphasized that once they got together, they knew they would win.

“We just wanted to send a strong message that we are the team to beat,” said Larry Rolle, but Marvin Rolle then interrupted him and stated that they will be back for their second, third, fourth and fifth” titles.

And like the opportunity to team up with his uncle, Marvin Rolle said he had quite an experience as well with mixed doubles, knocking off the duo of Bjorn Ferguson and Richette Percentie, in a match that was stopped due to the wet courts from the brief rain that fell on the final of the three days of competition.

“I am honoured to be playing with Mr Rolle, I feel like I’m on a pedestal right now,” Carey said.

But Rolle said the pleasure was all his because Carey “played well, she’s athletic and she kept the ball in play. So it definitely is a good experience as well. We had a good, friendly competition. I enjoyed it.”

Now that they have forged a relationship together, Carey said she will not let Marvin Rolle go. She noted that he will be her “partner for life.”

Rolle, however, quipped that she might “find somebody better than me,” to which Carey stressed: “No, I don’t think there’s anyone out there better than you to play with.”

Despite their loss, Percentie said she enjoyed herself.

“This is my first time playing in a tournament. It was fun,” she said. “I just wished we had completed the match because we still had a chance to win.”

Her partner Bjorn Ferguson was a little upset as well. He said he definitely wanted to win the match for Wesley Rolle. But he said it was unfortunate that “the match got stopped” because of the wet courts, which allowed their opponents to “take the title” after leading at that point.

Carey also noted that she has formed a formidable combo with Russell in women’s doubles that she doesn’t intend to relinquish anytime soon after they knocked off Marsha Williams and Loretta Mackey 12-3.

“Larikah is a great partner. She decided on how we will play the game from the start. Whatever she told me to do, I just followed and that was how we got the win,” she said. “I was just honoured to play with Larikah. She knows how to coach, so I knew we would not have any problems. I’m not giving her or Marvin away.”

Their opponents played for the first time, but Williams said had it not been for a few mistakes they made, they could have possibly pull off the upset.

“We didn’t stick with the plan,” she said. “We decided to continue to pound the ball at their weakest link, but we moved away from that.”

But Mackey said they still played well together and they “made a good effort. We just didn’t execute our plan.”

Mackey, however, congratulated Russell and Carey in their victory and she also commended the organisers for putting on such a “fantastic” tournament. They both wowed to return next year to avenge their loss.

Organisers thrilled

Ken Kerr, one of the organisers, said a group of players who were either taught or impacted by the coaching of Wesley Rolle got together to find a way to memorialise his name and what better time to do it than in October ahead of the national Hero’s Day celebrations.

“He liked the kids’ development in the inner city, getting as many underprivileged children involved in the game, but he also enjoyed watching the older people play tennis,” Kerr said. “So, we decided to put on this tournament for players who knew Wesley Rolle and were impacted by his contribution to the game.”

With a little extra incentive, a small cash prize was added to the tournament and Kerr said they will be looking at ways to increase the jackpot. He noted that they may decide to move the tournament to April, the birth month of Wesley Rolle and have a Hero’s Day tournament to recognise some other players who would have made their contribution to the sport but have been overlooked by the BLTA.

Bjorn Munroe, who also served as one of the organisers, said they will definitely be back next year with a bigger and better tournament.

He thanked Baha Mar for hosting them and all of the sponsors, both corporate and individuals, who assisted in making the event possible this year.

Shena Bowleg, the president of the Harrold Road Tennis Club, said they were planning on hosting the tournament before Wesley Rolle passed away as they gave the senior players a little more events to participate in.

But she said after he passed away, they felt it was good to go ahead full stream in putting on the tournament in his honour.

She said all of the tennis clubs came together and there were some players who never participated in a tournament who took part.

She said it was great for the tennis community.

Justyn Thompson, the assistant director for the tournament, said at first they didn’t know what to expect but, as time went on, the numbers swell and they were able to put the draw and schedule together.

“It was good to see everybody was on the same page with us and they were able to get in adequate time to rest in between playing their matches. Thompson said they were glad that the weather held for all of the matches, with the exception of the mixed doubles final, to be completed.

Family appreciative

Willis Rolle, one of the sons of Wesley Rolle, said he was thrilled that his father was being recognised in such a special way.

“I think he would have been proud because this is something he would want,” said Rolle of his father’s name placed on a tournament in his memory.

“It makes me proud that people are remembering him for what he did for tennis in the Bahamas. Hopefully, it can carry on for the years to come.”

As a little boy, Willis Rolle said he used to wonder how he could surpass his father’s accomplishments, but he gave up and decided to just bask in his success.

He said his father left some equipment for him to use to help with the betterment of tennis in the country.

Accompanied by his brother, Michael Rolle and their aunt Dianne Rolle, Willis Rolle said they will cherish what the organisers did for their father.