WALTER ALIBEY
Secretary of the Tennis Association of T&T (TATT) Jermille Danclar is expecting a good show and possibly victory from this country's junior players at the Central American and Caribbean Tennis Championship, known as the JITIC in El Salvador this week and next week.
The country's Under-16 team of Scott Hackshaw, Kobe James, Yin Lee Assang and Aura Whittier was scheduled to begin action yesterday in a round robin format, from which they were required to advance before facing the main draw. Danclar said he is optimistic all his players will progress from the round robin stage but expect them to encounter choppy waters for the resulting main draw.
"I believe we have a decent chance but our players will have to do well against their opponents in the main draw before they can think about anything else." Hackshaw has been the top under-18 player in the country and exhibited that by winning the RBC Junior Tournament and Catch National Junior Championships recently before failing to defend his crown in the Sagicor Junior Tournament at Nelson Mandela Park last week.
On the other hand Tobagonian James pulled off a surprised win over Hackshaw at the 'Catch' tournament last year but he could not replicate that this year, while Whittier was expected to make her debut in national colours.
Danclar, a former stand-out tennis ace is expecting victory in the Under-14 division where Aiden Carter and Adam Ramkissoon, the number #1 and #2 ranked players in the COTECC region, will campaign from July 30th.
The duo will team up with Samuel West, Ethan Jaery, Lee Assang and Victoria Koylass to contest the opening round robin play-off for Boys and Girls. They are scheduled to leave local shores on Thursday.
Danclar described the team as a strong one, saying his only concern comes from the South American players, who Carter, Ramkissoon and company hardly play against through-out the year. "These South American players are involved in action inside and outside their region, which is pretty much as how our players take part in regional and local tournament, as well as a few international competitions, so it can go in any direction when they meet" Danclar said.
Earlier this year the trio of Carter, Ramkissoon and West finished fourth at the World Junior Tennis Championship where the top junior players in the world participated. According to Danclar, "I am really expecting this team to do well, although it would get tricky when they face the South Americans."