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Takaii Adderley took care of Afrika Smith in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Giorgio Baldacci Open Tennis National Championships, at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre on Tuesday. Adderley won 6-1 and 6-2 and will play Sydney Clarke in her semifinal match today. AP
Sydney Clarke goes after a volley shot during the quarterfinals of the 2023 Giorgio Baldacci Open Tennis National Championships on Tuesday. Clarke defeated BreAnn Ferguson in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-0, and will play Takaii Adderley in her semifinal match today. TORRELL GLINTON
The 2023 Giorgio Baldacci Open Tennis National Championships, hosted by the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA), heats up today with the semifinals after the quarterfinals wrapped up yesterday afternoon at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre.
The men’s semifinals get underway at 9 a.m. today on courts number two and six. The women’s semifinals will get underway afterwards on the same courts, but not before 11:30 a.m.
Nottage easily took care of Alec Hooper, 6-0 and 6-1, in his quarterfinal match to get closer to defending his title.
“I am excited to move a step closer to defending my title,” Nottage said. “It has been on the back of my mind all year and now the time is here. I had my sights on this tournament on the calendar so I could come home and defend my title.”
Nottage will go up against Rodney Carey in his semifinal match today. Carey booked a spot in the semifinals with a swift 6-0 and 6-0 victory over Cailan Bowe on court number four yesterday.
The defending champion is looking to stay patient against Carey who is an experienced player.
Mackey turned back teenager Sarai Clarke in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-1, to punch her ticket to the semifinals in the women’s division.
“I had a bit of a slow start at the beginning of the first set,” Mackey said. “It took me a while to get my feet moving but as the match went on, I was able to be more consistent and place more of the balls on the court and go for my shots more.”
She is looking to play confidently and go for her shots.
Simone Pratt will play against Mackey in the semifinals after she won against Jalisa Clarke in straight sets. Pratt won that quarterfinal match, 6-1 and 6-2.
Last year’s runner-up on the women’s side Sydney Clarke won over BreAnn Ferguson in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-0 and will play in the semifinals once again.
“The match went well,” Clarke said. “I had a few errors here and there, but for the most part, I was able to keep my level of play consistent. I did not let my level drop. I had some moments when I was down but I was able to quickly get back and fix minor errors that I made.”https://426a75a064cc49fd837681ee2fdbda8e.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
She will be looking to bring more energy to her semifinal match today.
Clarke will play against up-and-coming junior player Takaii Adderley who took care of Afrika Smith in the quarterfinals. Adderley was sensational in her match, coming away with a 6-1 and 6-2 victory. The 15-year-old is looking forward to her match against Clarke today.
“She is a great player,” Adderley said of Clarke. “I know that it is not going to be easy so I have to bring my ‘A’ game. I have to come up with a game plan and just stick with it and play my game.”
Michael Major Jr. made it to his first semifinal in the Baldacci nationals, taking down Jerald Carroll in two sets. Major won, 7-6 (7-5) and 6-1.
“He (Carroll) beat me in three sets the last time we played so I expected a tough match. I started a little shaky at the beginning and did not have a feel for the ball. As the match progressed, I felt as if I was getting into rhythm and I knew that after I won the first set, I knew I already had a rhythm and it was going to be easier in the second. I remained calm and not overplaying is what helped me,” Major said.
Veteran Baker Newman was on a battlefield against Donte Armbrister as that match required three sets. Newman came out on top to set up a battle against Major in the semifinals. Newman won the first set 7-6 (7-5) and Armbrister won the second set 7-5. Newman dug deep and won the third set 6-3.
The finalists of the men and women’s divisions will book spots on the national teams. The men’s team plays in the Davis Cup tournament while the women’s team plays in the Billie Jean King Cup tournament.