Wednesday, July 4, 2018

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the second time in two straight games, the Bahamas met Barbados, this time losing the bronze medal as the CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association) Women’s Championship concluded at the Ismay van Wilgen Sport Hall in Paramaribo, Suriname, on Monday night.

#The Bahamas lost a marathon 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 24-26 and 16-14 decision to finish fourth – carting off four individual titles as Brittany Deveaux and Ashley Webb were awarded the number one and two blockers respectively, while Rachel Knowles was the best opposite player (right side hitter) and best digger was Chandra Mackey.

#Trinidad & Tobago won the gold medal, beating host Suriname in three straight games.

#Head coach Covance Mortimer said it could have easily been the Bahamas playing for the gold, but they are content with their fourth place finish, considering that it was a relatively young team that they took to Suriname for the tournament.

#Despite the make-up of the team, Mortimer said the players performed at their best. “The team performed at a very high level, especially since we got off to a slow start,” Mortimer said. “We came back with a lot of resilience and was able to fight right to the end. So I’m very happy with the team effort.”

#With a team averaging about 19-20 years of age, Mortimer said it showed in their performances in certain game situations.

#But he said they kept their composure and even though they didn’t get into the final, they will enjoy the third place finish.

#He said they will now have to go back to the drawing board and get prepared for the Caribbean Volleyball Championships.

#The team returned home yesterday and Knowles said they will enjoy the fourth place finish. “I felt we did well, considering the circumstances because a lot of us are in school and so it took us a little while to get used to playing with each other again,” she said.

The Bahamas men’s volleyball team receive their silver medals.

As of Friday, August 17, 2018

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AS the 17th edition of the Men’s CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association) Championships closed out on Tuesday night in Parimaribo, Suriname, the men’s national team had to settle for the silver.

#The team arrived home late Wednesday night and head coach Lloyd Davis said they accomplished their mission, which was to medal, although it wasn’t the colour they anticipated.

#“The team performed awesomely,” said Davis, who was assisted by Kurkwood Greene Sr.

#“We only had ten players, but we went down there with a mission. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted, but we came out with the silver against all odds.”

#In a re-match of their marathon round robin showdown, the Bahamas fell victim to hosts Suriname, who claimed the title before a packed Ismay Wilgen Sporthal with a 25-20, 13-25, 25-22, 25-23 decision.

#“We only had 13 people down there pulling for each other. That was one referee, two coaches and ten players,” Davis said. “Nobody else, but we were able to overcome all of the adversities, all of the fatigue and come home with the silver medal.”

#Renaldo Knowles, Byron Ferguson and captain Princtanique Wilson had 15, 14 and 13 points respectively.

#Other members making up the Bahamas team were Kyle Wilson, Je’Vaughn Saunders, Jamaal Ferguson, Donavan Wilmott, Eugene Stuart, Tonny Simon and Shonari Hepburn.

#Lanza Miller also attended the tournament where he served as a game official.

#Davis commended Tim Munnings, the Director of Sports at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, who provided a grant for the Bahamas Volleyball Federation to get a draft from the bank to cover their expenses to travel.

#“I told him that we would have medalled and I told you (Tribune) that we could have won the title,” Davis said.

#“We just fell short. Our biggest thing was fatigue. We played Trinidad & Tobago that morning to get into the final and beat them in five sets.

#“Suriname were in the hotel resting and they came right back and played us in the final at 8pm that night with a crowded gym. Fatigue set in. This was the first tournament that we went to and had to play two games every day, but we were still able to overcome that.”

#Davis said it was a pretty good learning experience for the team because the players realise that practice is very important from start to finish.

#“From the time we started practicing to when we cut the squad to travel, we need a full squad,” he stated.

#The Bahamas won three of their five matches in the tournament, but lost both times to Suriname, including their classic five-set marathon that lasted almost three hours. The final score was 42-40, 23-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11.

#Trinidad & Tobago, who were dethroned by the Bahamas in their semifinal match, had to settle for the bronze medal as they knocked off ten-time champions Barbados 26-24, 25-22, 28-30, 25-22.

#During the awards presentation, the Bahamas got its lone individual award from Renaldo Knowles, who was named the best receiver.

#Suriname collected five of the 12 awards as Keven Sporkdslede captured three, including best outside hitter, top scorer and the most valuable player.

#Despite losing all of their matches, Haiti took home three individual awards, the same as Trinidad & Tobago. Barbados was the only team not to collect any individual awards.

TEAM Bahamas at the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association Women’s Championship in Paramaribo, Suriname.

As of Tuesday, July 3, 2018

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the second time in two straight games, the Bahamas met Barbados, this time losing the bronze medal as the CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association) Women’s Championship concluded last night at the Ismay van Wilgen Sport Hall in Paramaribo, Suriname.

#The Bahamas lost a marathon 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 24-26 and 16-14 decision to finish fourth – carting off four individual titles as Brittany Deveaux and Ashley Webb were awarded the number one and two blockers respectively, while Rachel Knowles was the best opposite player right side hitter) and best digger was Chandra Mackey.

#Trinidad & Tobago won the gold medal, beating host Suriname in three straight games.

#Head coach Covance Mortimer said it could have easily been the Bahamas playing for the gold, but they are content with their fourth place finish, considering that it was a relatively young team that they took to Suriname for the tournament.

#Despite the make-up of the team, Mortimer said the players performed at their best.

#“The team performed at a very high level, especially since we got off to a slow start,” Mortimer said. “We came back with a lot of resilience and was able to fight right to the end. So I’m very happy with the team effort.”

#With a team averaging about 19-20 years of age, Mortimer said it showed in their performances in certain game situations.

#But he said they kept their composure and even though they didn’t get into the final, they will enjoy the third place finish.

#He said they will now have to go back to the drawing board and get prepared for the Caribbean Volleyball Championships.

#The team is expected to return home today and Knowles said they will enjoy the fourth place finish.

#“I felt we did well, considering the circumstances because a lot of us are in school and so it took us a little while to get used to playing with each other again,” she said. “But I felt that everybody did the best that we could. We didn’t get the gold that we came here to achieve, but we wanted to take the bronze.”

#On winning her award, Knowles said she was pleasantly surprised.

#“I wasn’t thinking about it, so it was good,” she admitted. “Everybody felt it would have been better playing in the championship, but we just missed it.”

#Prior to the playoffs, Team Bahamas lost its first two games to Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname before rebounding to close out the round robin with a win over Barbados.

#In the tournament opening game against Trinidad & Tobago, the Bahamas was beaten 25-16, 25-12 and 25-12 in a game that assistant coach Margaret ‘Muggy’ Albury had to fill in for head coach Covance Mortimer, who had a flight delay into Suriname.

#Mortimer arrived in time for their second match-up against Suriname, but the Bahamas still suffered a 25-12, 25-23 and 25-19 as Melinda Bastian led the way with 10 points for her outside hitting attacks.

#And after the two losses, Team Bahamas took their frustration out on Barbados with their 25-14, 25-20 and 28-26 decision as Bastian once again paced the attack with 11 points and four passes and digs.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER losing a marathon five setter to hosts Suriname the night before, the Bahamas men’s national volleyball team regrouped and took care of Haiti in four sets on Monday to keep their hopes alive for a shot at the gold medal at the CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association) Championships at the Ismay Van Wilgen Sporthal in Parimaribo, Suriname.

#Coming off that hard fought 42-40, 23-25, 21-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11 loss in the feature game that lasted almost three hours on Sunday, Team Bahamas bounced back to beat Haiti in four sets, 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 25-22 and push their record to 2-1 heading into their final game in the round robin today against Trinidad & Tobago.

#“We performed pretty well. We didn’t play as well as we could have, but we were still able to win the match,” said head coach Lloyd Davis, who is being assisted by Kurkwood Greene Sr.

#“We just had a slow start and (were) making adjustments to the conditions.

#“Other than that, it went fairly well because we still were able to win.”

#The team was led by the 1-2 punch of Byron Ferguson and Prince Wilson.

#Other members of the team are Renaldo Knowles, Kyle Wilson, Je’Vaughn Saunders, Jamaal Ferguson, Donavan Wilmott, Eugene Stuart, Tonny Simon and Shonari Hepburn.

#“These guys are giving it their all,” Davis said. “Yesterday (Sunday), we had two matches and tomorrow (today) we will have two. We play Trinidad at 9am in the morning to go to the gold medal round. If we beat Trinidad, we automatically go to the gold medal round that evening. If we lose, we play for bronze.”

#Despite losing to Suriname, Davis said it turned things around because Suriname came back on Monday and suffered their first loss of the tournament to Trinidad. Those three teams all have one loss, but Suriname was scheduled to play Barbados in the featured game last night, while the Bahamas will play Trinidad today.

#The outcome of those games will determine who plays for gold and silver and who plays for bronze and fourth place. Haiti, having lost all of their games, have been eliminated from the playoff picture.

#In their game against Suriname, three players from the host country – Gino Nardeen (28), Keven Sporkslede (26) and Zefano Breinburg (24) – each scored in excess of 20 points, while captain Princtanique Wilson led from the front for Bahamas with 24 points.

#Suriname had the advantage in kills (74-68) and blocked shots (12-7), but Bahamas led 4-2 in service winners.

#Davis said it was just a nail biter that could have gone either way.

#“After losing the first set, that carried over until the fifth set when they won 15-11,” he said. “It took it’s toll on us, but we were able to rebound and beat Haiti in four. Unfortunately, we wore down Suriname and they got beat by Trinidad. Hopefully we can come back and take care of Trinidad and go to the gold medal round.”

#As they prepare for that early match today, Davis said Team Bahamas have one simply game plan.

#“All we have to do is pass the ball,” he insisted. “If we pass the ball and execute, we should win it.”

#Davis said the team is in high spirits and looking forward to the final day of competition today.

TEAM Bahamas at the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association Women’s Championship in Paramaribo, Suriname.

As of Tuesday, July 3, 2018

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the second time in two straight games, the Bahamas met Barbados, this time losing the bronze medal as the CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association) Women’s Championship concluded last night at the Ismay van Wilgen Sport Hall in Paramaribo, Suriname.

#The Bahamas lost a marathon 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 24-26 and 16-14 decision to finish fourth – carting off four individual titles as Brittany Deveaux and Ashley Webb were awarded the number one and two blockers respectively, while Rachel Knowles was the best opposite player right side hitter) and best digger was Chandra Mackey.

#Trinidad & Tobago won the gold medal, beating host Suriname in three straight games.

#Head coach Covance Mortimer said it could have easily been the Bahamas playing for the gold, but they are content with their fourth place finish, considering that it was a relatively young team that they took to Suriname for the tournament.

#Despite the make-up of the team, Mortimer said the players performed at their best.

#“The team performed at a very high level, especially since we got off to a slow start,” Mortimer said. “We came back with a lot of resilience and was able to fight right to the end. So I’m very happy with the team effort.”

#With a team averaging about 19-20 years of age, Mortimer said it showed in their performances in certain game situations.

#But he said they kept their composure and even though they didn’t get into the final, they will enjoy the third place finish.

#He said they will now have to go back to the drawing board and get prepared for the Caribbean Volleyball Championships.

#The team is expected to return home today and Knowles said they will enjoy the fourth place finish.

#“I felt we did well, considering the circumstances because a lot of us are in school and so it took us a little while to get used to playing with each other again,” she said. “But I felt that everybody did the best that we could. We didn’t get the gold that we came here to achieve, but we wanted to take the bronze.”

#On winning her award, Knowles said she was pleasantly surprised.

#“I wasn’t thinking about it, so it was good,” she admitted. “Everybody felt it would have been better playing in the championship, but we just missed it.”

#Prior to the playoffs, Team Bahamas lost its first two games to Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname before rebounding to close out the round robin with a win over Barbados.

#In the tournament opening game against Trinidad & Tobago, the Bahamas was beaten 25-16, 25-12 and 25-12 in a game that assistant coach Margaret ‘Muggy’ Albury had to fill in for head coach Covance Mortimer, who had a flight delay into Suriname.

#Mortimer arrived in time for their second match-up against Suriname, but the Bahamas still suffered a 25-12, 25-23 and 25-19 as Melinda Bastian led the way with 10 points for her outside hitting attacks.

#And after the two losses, Team Bahamas took their frustration out on Barbados with their 25-14, 25-20 and 28-26 decision as Bastian once again paced the attack with 11 points and four passes and digs

Head coach Covance Mortimer gives some instructions to members of the women’s national volleyball team.

As of Friday, June 15, 2018

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#EVEN though it’s a very young team selected, the Bahamas Volleyball Federation and its women’s national volleyball team are hoping to make their presence felt when they travel to Suriname to participate in the CAZOVA Senior Championships.

#The CAZOVA tournament will run from June 28-July 5.

#CAZOVA, which was formed in August 1994 here in Nassau as a non-profit organisation, has a mission of governing and managing all forms of volleyball, including beach volleyball and park volley.

#The team was named by BVF’s secretary general Crystal Forbes and national team director Lloyd Davis on Wednesday during a practice session at the DW Davis Gymnasium.

#Named to the team are Brittany Bonamy – left wing; Melinda Bastian – left wing; Tia Charlow – middle; Brittany Deveaux – middle; Ashley Webb – middle; Eugenie Adderley – middle; Janelle Curtis – right wing; Rachel Knowles – right wing; Je’Nae Saunders – setter; Leandra Armbrister – setter; La’Tavia Braynen – utility and Chandra Mackey – libero.

#The head coach is Covance Mortimer and the team manager is Margaret ‘Muggy’ Albury.

#Travel

#The women will travel just before the men’s national team will head to Suriname for their version of the tournament from August 4-11.

#In announcing the team, Forbes said they have a few experienced players traveling in Bastian and Bonamy, both outside hitters; Deveaux, a middle player and Saunders, the setter.

#“We feel the team is a pretty good one, even though we will rely on these players to lead the way in experience,” Forbes said. “So I think the team will do very well.”

#Trinidad & Tobago, known for the height and long arm on their more experienced players, are expected to pose the biggest threat to Team Bahamas. But Davis said what they lack in height, Team Bahamas hope to make up defensively.

#“The Bahamas team normally play good defence. We block well at the net, so that should compensate for our lack of height,” he projected. “We shouldn’t have much balls dropping on us, so we should very sound in that category.”

#As the head coach, Mortimer said he’s excited about the mixture of youth and experienced players.

#“The youth that we have on the team have a lot of potential, which makes it an exciting venture,” Mortimer pointed out. “The expectations for this team, like any other year, is very high. We have the expectations of going there and medaling and improving on what we did last year.”

#At the last tournament the team finished last, but Mortimer said they have been able to look at their downfall and they have tried to improve on the make up this time around.

#“We are incorporating a few things that will somehow simplify our offence,” he stressed. “We’ve worked tremendously over the past few weeks trying to improve on our offence and defence.”

#Considering the absence of taller players, Mortimer said they can’t teach height, so they have been trying to compensate that loss by getting the players to be more skillful.

#“Height should not be an issue for us,” he summed up.

#Bonamy, who has accepted the challenge to lead Team Bahamas, said although they had a short time to prepare for the tournament, she’s confident that they will do well.

#“We will do great. We haven’t had that much time to get our chemistry together, but we will be okay,” she insisted. “All we have to do is stick together and stick to the game plan.”

#Having travelled on a few teams in the past, Bonamy said their strength is definitely their defence, but their weakness will be their chemistry because of the fact that they haven’t had that much time to come together to practice.

#“Our biggest rivals will be Trinidad and we normally have a good game plan against them,” she stated. “Hopefully this time, the plan will work. But they are the number one team in the region.”

#If they can get through their rivals, Bonamy said their realistic goal is to finish in the top three.

of Wednesday, June 28, 2017

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Volleyball Federation has selected a 12-member team, featuring two professional players, some savvy veterans and a few collegiate players, to represent the country at the CAZOVA Senior Championships for Men.

#The team, coached by Covance Mortimer and Lloyd ‘Ratty’ Davis, will be heading to Couva, Trinidad this weekend to participate in the tournament that will run from July 2-10.

#Named to the team are pro players Byron Ferguson and Shonari Hepburn, veterans Printanique Wilson, Toney Simon, Glen Rolle and Jamaal Ferguson, collegians Eugene Stuart and Rajahl Moxey, along with JeVaughn Saunders, Javari Southard, Lorenzo Williams and Shedrick Forbes.

#“I think this is probably the best 12 that we will travel with in a while since I’ve been on the team,” he said. “So I feel we have a lot of players that we can interchange in crucial movements in the game that we didn’t have in previous tournaments.”

#Jamaal Ferguson took it a step further. ” A lot of teams are trying to emphasise on their power or right side player. Our coaches have seen the evolution in volleyball and they are trying to replicate the same things that others are doing, so I think it will work for us because a lot of teams don’t know what we are doing,” he said.

#“It’s going to be a good challenge, but we are looking to win as the favourites. We just have to go out there and play up to that expectation.”

#The Bahamas has been placed in Group E with Jamaica, Haiti and Barbados. The team’s opening game will be on Tuesday against Barbados, followed by Jamaica on Wednesday (July 5) and Haiti on Thursday (July 6).

#The playoffs are slated to begin on Friday (July 8) and wrap up on Sunday (July 9).

#The tournament comes just before the women’s tournament is played July 26-31 when the Bahamas will be placed in Group D with Martinique, Trinidad & Tobago and Guadeloupe.

#On Monday night during a practice session at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, the federation made the final cut. Coach Mortimer said he’s quite pleased with the selection. “You can expect us to do the best that we can do,” Mortimer said. “We have a veteran team with some of the players having been a fixture on the team for a while, so the experience on the international level is there, so I expect us to do very well.”

#The tournament serves as a qualifier for the World Championships with the first two teams earning their automatic berths into the next round.

#“We are basically playing to fine tone ourselves because we have always played at a high standard in the past and we have been ranked a lot higher than most of our opponents,” Mortimer said.

#Looking at the mix-up of the team, Mortimer said their strength has and will continue to be up the middle, but they are looking at the transition from the middle to the right side.

#“Every individual on the team have some sort of asset that they can contribute to our success, so that makes us overall an excellent team,” he stressed.

#However, Mortimer pointed out that if there was any weakness, it would have to be their mental aspect in regard to have focused the players will be when they get ready to play.

#Davis said they have instilled in the players that in order to advance to the next round, the team will have to win.

#“This is a very pivotal tournament for us,” he stressed. “The future you go, the better it is for you. We will have some challenges, if we qualify, because we will start meeting the bigger countries like Cuba and Mexico.

#“But we have a pretty young team, which can do some damage. We just have to start with this tournament. We have to win in order to look ahead to the next level.”

#Shedrick Forbes said there are a lot of expectations that he and his teammates have to live up too.

#“We are more focused this time around mentally and now there is an expectancy of being the top team winning the gold medal at the tournament to move onto the NORCECA Championships in September to try and quality for World Championship 2018 in Japan,” he projected.

Top seed Kerrie Cartwright.

As of Monday, December 18, 2017

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#Top seeds Kerrie Cartwright and Baker Newman will be in action in the first set of matches played today at the National Tennis Centre as the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Annual Giorgio Baldacci Open gets started.

#Cartwright, one of 12 players entered in the ladies’ draw, will begin play 9am this morning on the Stadium court against Donesha Gibson, while Newman, one of 19 men, will play the opening match at the same time on court one against Perry Newton Jr. Cartwright, the only female player with a WTA ranking, is back in the tournament after missing the past two years.

#She is being joined by Grand Bahamian collegian Simone Pratt, the No.2 seed, who is also making her return from a brief hiatus. Collegian Danielle Thompson is seeded at number three and local junior player Sydney Clarke will occupy the No.4 spot. Missing will be collegian Iesha Shepherd.

#The women will be playing for their spots on the Fed Cup team.

#On the men’s side, Baker and Spencer Newman will be back as the top two seeds respectively. Veteran Marvin Rolle will play out of the No.3 spot, Kevin Major Jr is No.4 and Philip Major Jr round out the top five.

#At the end of the tournament, the BLTA will select the players who will be eligible to represent the country on the Davis Cup team.

#The BLTA have divided the players into four pools for the women and five for the men. They are seeded based on their ATP/WTA, NCAA and national rankings respectively in singles.

#The remaining players were drawn randomly to complete the pools. Each player will play each other in the round robin during the course of the week.

#The first two finishers in each men and women pools will go into a knockout main draw with the eventual losing semi-finalist playing for third and place.

#Second round losers in the main draw will then play for fifth through eighth places.

#The players have been matched up in the following pools:

#Ladies’ division

#Pool A – Kerrie Cartwright, Gabriela Donaldson and Donesha Gibson.

#Pool B – Simone Prtt, Elana Mackey and Larikah Russell.

#Pool C – Danielle Thompson, Afrika Smith and Sydni Kerr.

#Pool D – Sydney Clarke, Sierra Donaldson and Perjae Major.

#Men’s Division

#Pool A – Baker Newman, joshua Turnquest and Perry Newton Jr.

#Pool B – Spencer Neeman, Michael Cooper. Shannon Francis and Archie Burrows.

#Pool C – Marvin Rolle. Justin Lunn, Calvin Moodie and Michael Butler.

#Pool D – Kevin Major Jr, William Fountain, O’Neal Mortimer and Robert Smith.

#Pool E – Philip Major Jr, Jody Turnquest, Donte Armbrister and Nathan Thompson.

#Today’s matches are as follows:

#9 am – Kerrie Cartwright vs Donesha Gibson; Baker Newman vs Perry Newton Jr; Kevin Major Jr vs Robert Smith; Marvin Rolle vs Michael Butler; Philip Major Jr vs Nathan Thompson; William Fountain vs Oneal Mortimer; Justin Lunn vs Calum Moodie and Jody Turnquest vs Donte Armbrister.

#10 am – Shannon Francis vs Michael Cooper; Afrika Smith vs Sydni Kerr; Simone Pratt vs Larikah Russell; Sydney Clarke vs Perjae Major.

#2 pm – Gabriela Donaldson vs Donesha Gibspn; Danielle Thompson vs Sydni Kerr; Sierra Donaldson vs Perjae Major and Joshua Turnquest vs Perry Newton Jr.

#4 pm – Simone Pratt vs Elana Mackey; Spencer Newman vs Shannon Francis; Kevin Major Jr vs Oneal Mortimer; Marvin Rolle vs Calum Moodie; Philip Major Jr vs Donte Armbrister; Jody Turnquest vs Nathan Thompson;l Justin Lunn vs Michael Butler; Michael Cooper vs Archie Burrows and William Fountain vs Robert Smith.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Simone Pratt

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT was a successful return to the National Tennis Centre for top seeds Kerrie Cartwright, Simone Pratt and Danielle Thompson as the 2017 Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals got underway on Monday.

#Rising junior stars Sydney Clarke and Afrika Smith also joined them in the win column.

#But it was busy as usual as the men’s top seeds of Baker and Spencer Newman, Marvin Rolle, Kevin ‘KJ’ Major Jr and Philip Major Jr all prevailed.

#But Justin Lunn, Joshua Turnquest, William ‘JJ’ Fountain and Jody Turnquest all made their presence felt.

#Day one of the weeklong tournament produced some exciting matches as the players are vying for spots on the Bahamas’ Davis Cup team for men and the Fed Cup for women in 2018.

#In what turned out to be the marquee match on the ladies’ side between two Grand Bahamian natives, Pratt held off a gallant effort from the 2014 Fed Cup player/captain Larikah Russell with a 6-7, 7-5 (10-4) win.

#“It was a very tough match,” said Pratt, a senior at Nova Southwest University who was back in the tournament for the first time in at least four years. “It was great to be back in my country plying again. I just want to give it my best and whatever happens, happens.”

#Russell, the veteran of the two at age 32, managed to pull off the first set in a tie breaker and was tied at 5-5 when the 21-year-old Pratt got a break and held serve to win and force the third set tie breaker.

#In the tiebreaker, Pratt surged ahead 6-2 and was able to secure the win. “The first set, I started out playing very nervous because I haven’t played in a while,” said Russell, who is coming off a Bahamas Softball Federation’s national championship title with the Sunshine Auto Wildcats as their shortstop. “But I started to settle down and put more balls in play and I felt a little more confident, so I was able to settle into the match. I’m very proud of myself in taking her to the limit. Hats off to her for hanging in there.”

#With a little rest, Pratt bounced back and pulled off her second win with a 6-0, 6-2 win over junior player Elana Mackey.

#Top seed Cartwright shines

#In what turned out to be a relatively easy day on the court, Cartwright, the only player in the tournament with a WTA ranking, blanked Grand Bahamian Donesha Gibson 6-0, 6-0.

#“It was good. It was good to be back home playing,” said Cartwright, who missed the previous two tournaments. “It was a good match. I felt good.”

#Cartwright, now ranked at 1164 in singles and 828 in doubles, said she’s just trying to concentrate on her game and hopefully get better in each match and not worry about who is in the draw. But she’s excited to have players like Simone Pratt, Larikah Russell and Danielle Thompson.

#Clarke impressive

#As the country’s top junior player, Sydney Clarke lived up to her expectations as she breezed past Perjae Major for a 6-0, 6-0 win.

#“It was great. I was solid and I didn’t make that many mistakes,” said Clarke, who advanced to the semifinal of the recent ITF Goombay Splash held here last month for some of the top junior players in the world.

#“I feel excited with a lot of mixed emotion because a lot of the top players are home like Kerrie Cartwright, the top seed. I’m very anxious, but I am ready to play one of them in the main draw. My game has improved since last year, so I am more prepared.”

#Thompson back in form

#In making her return home for the tournament, Danielle Thompson came through with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Sydni Kerr.

#Newman leading the pack

#Returning as the defending champion and the top seed, Baker Newman didn’t disappoint anyone with his 6-0 6-0 win over BLTA’s public relations officer Perry Newton.

#“It was good. I just had some fun out there. Obviously the level was a little different, but it was good to see him come out and be apart of the tournament,” Newman said.

#As the tournament progresses, Newman said he’s going to take it one match at a time because there are a lot of good players participating like his brother, Spencer, Marvin Rolle, Kevin Major, Philip Major and Justin Lunn.

#“It should be fun. I haven’t played in a while, so I just want to get some matches in,” said Newman, a senior on Vanderbilt men’s tennis team where he’s coming off an injury.

#No. 2 Newman also won

#In identical fashion, Spencer Newman proved why he’s the No.2 seed with his 6-0, 6-0 win over Archie Burrows.

#“I was really happy with the way I was able to focus through that match. I think I lost three points in the first set and didn’t lose any in the second,” Spencer Newman said.

#“It had to do a lot with my focus and how I was able to string together so many points, so I’m happy with that. I’ve been training very hard.”

#Newman had a second match for the day, winning 6-1, 6-1 over Shannon Francis.

#Rolle on a roll

#The veteran player/captain of the Davis Cup team was just as impressive, winning 6-0, 6-0 over former baseball player Michael Butler.

#Rolle came back later in the day and won 6-1, 6-0 over Calum Moodie.

#Major Jr prevailed

#No. 4 seed Kevin Major Jr rebounded after losing a point against Robert Smith to pull off his 6-1, 6-0 win.

#“This one was kind of strange. I played Robert Smith, an unorthodox player. It wasn’t much rhythm, but I got it done,” Major Jr. said.

#“I had an injury free season in college (Savannah State), so I’m feeling pretty good about myself. Hopefully I can pull it out.”

#With what he termed a pretty good draw, Major said he’s confident that he can advance as the top seed to the main draw on Thursday.

#Before he was done for the day, Major Jr won 6-1, 6-0 over junior player Oneal Mortimer.

#The other Major Jr gets a win too

#Philip Major Jr, the No. 5 seed, also got a quick win with his 6-0, 6-0 decision over Nathan Thompson.

#“It was pretty good. It wasn’t much challenge, but you have to respect everyone and I’m just excited that I came out with the win,” Major Jr said.

#“I had an injury that I had to deal with since Davis Cup, so I’m just happy to be playing again and I am going to give it my best shot.”

#Major Jr, however, had a tougher time in his second match, winning 7-6, 6-2 over Donte Armbrister.

#Lunn came through

#Justin Lunn, now training in Montreal, Canada, is hoping that he can make it through the tournament so that he can secure his spot on the Davis Cup team again. He won his opener 6-0, 6-0 over Calum Moodie.

#“The first match went well. My routine worked very well, which is to take one match at a time,” Lunn said. “So I’m feeling really good, better than last year when I got sick and wasn’t able to finish in the second round of the main draw.

#“But this year, I’m feeling much better. I’m always ready. Everybody’s playing solid, so it’s just who is mentally tougher and physically fit. But it’s a honor to come back and show what you have been working on.”

#Lunn played his second match

#In other scores, William Fountain won 6-4, 7-5 over Oneal Mortimer; Jody Turnquest won 6-2, 7-5 over Donte Armbrister; Jody Turnquest won 6-0, 6-0 over Nathan Thompson; William Fountain won 6-1, 6-3 over Robert Smith and Michael Cooper won 6-2, 7-5 over Archie Burrows.

#The tournament will continue play today at 9 am.Lunn played his second match 6-0, 6-1 over Michael Butler.

#Today’s schedule is as follows:

#10 am – Kevin Major Jr vs William Fountain; Spencer Newman was Michael Cooper; Baker Newman vs Joshua Turnquest; Marvin Rolle vs Justin Lunn and Philip Major Jr vs Jody Turnquest.

#1 pm – Donte Armbrister vs Nathan Thompson; Oneal Mortimer vs Robert Smith; Shannon Francis vs Archie Burrows and Calum Moodie vs Michael Butler.

#3 pm – Sidney Clarke vs Sierra Donaldson; Danielle Thompson vs Afrika Smith and Larikah Russell vs Elana Smith.

By Brent Stubbs

Thursday, December 21, 2017

#It will be a rematch between the Newman brothers in the men’s final of the Giorgio Baldacci National Open, while former Fed Cuppers Kerrie Cartwright and Danielle Thompson will meet in the ladies’ draw.

#The players all secured their berths in the semi-finals of the main draw of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s weeklong tournament at the National Tennis Centre yesterday.

#Defending champion Baker Newman prevailed with a hard fought 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 win over fellow Davis Cupper Philip Major Jr, while runner-up Spencer Newman got by Philip Major Jr 7-5, 6-4.

#And as top seed Kerrie Cartwright outlasted Simone Pratt 6-4, 6-3, Danielle Thompson joined her in the final without having to break a sweat as her opponent, veteran Larikah Russell, didn’t show up.

#The tournament served as the trials for both the Bahamas’ Davis Cup for men and the Fed Cup for women and by virtue of their performances, all eight players mentioned will be considered for selection by the BLTA.

#MEN’S SEMIS

#Newman held off

#Major Jr

#In what turned out to be the epic match of the semi-final on the men’s side, Major Jr pulled away from a 5-5 tie to break Newman and went on to hold serve for the first set.

#In the second set, Major Jr went up 4-1, but he couldn’t close the door as Newman rallied back to force the 5-5 tie and returned the favour to even the score.

#As it got a bit dark on court three, officials moved the match to the stadium court under the lights and a rejuvenated Newman pulled away from a 1-1 tie to win the next five games to seal the deal.

#“It was a long match. PJ played well. It was my first long match in a long time, so I was happy with the win,” said Newman, who came from a 5-4 deficit in the second set to turn the match around.

#“There were some pressure points out there for sure.”

#Despite the loss, Major Jr said it was a match filled with a lot of emotions.

#“I was up 4-1 and serving at 40-15 and the momentum changed,” he said. “Because I wasn’t playing that much, the rust kicked in the brain more than physically and I paid the price.

#“Throughout the rest of the match, I was not mentally engaged. So it is just a part of missing the sport for so long. I’ve been out for about six months. So I’m not upset about how I played. I know I need to put in a lot of physical work and lose a lot of weight.”

#As for the final, Baker Newman said he expects that he and Spencer Newman will go to a third and deciding set when they play at 4pm today.

#In the meanwhile, Major Jr said he came into the tournament not expecting anything and now he’s back on the Davis Cup team, so he’s thankful for that and he assured the public that he will be ready for the competition next year.

#Newman swept

#Major Jr

#In what was billed as the marquee men’s match, Kevin Major Jr blew a 4-2 lead in the first set and 5-1 in the second as Spencer Newman surged back to pull off the two-set sweep.

#“It was next and next the entire time. In the first set, we were back and forth early. I was up a break and then he broke back and so it was good to get the (win),” Newman said.

#“Then in the second set, Kevin was up 3-1, but it wasn’t over until it over. I just didn’t give up.”

#Back in the final for the third straight year, Newman said he was working hard for this opportunity and, even though he’s facing his brother, he’s not taking anything for granted.

#“I don’t look at the match any different no matter who I’m playing,” he said. “I’m coming prepared to play the same way and compete and leave it all on the line and look for the W (win).”

#In falling short of getting into the final, Major Jr said he made too many mistakes to hold off Newman.

#“Spencer is a very consistent player,” he said. “With my mistakes, it was pretty hard for me to stay ahead in the match.”

#But Major Jr said he’s excited that he will be back in the mix for the Davis Cup team and he’s confident that based on the quartet, anyone can play singles and they will be able to hold their own against their opponents.

#Cartwright earned

#her berth

#Prior to the start of the tournament, the build up was about the match-up between WTA ranked Kerrie Cartwright and collegian Simone Pratt as they made their return to playing in the Bahamas again.

#Both players didn’t disappoint the fans as they put on a show in their semi-final.

#However, after Pratt broke for a 2-2 tie in the first set, Cartwright got the break back to go up 3-2 and she stayed ahead for the win.

#Cartwright got a break to open the second set and when she went up 4-1 on another break, it was smooth sailing as she broke again at 5-3 and held serve to wrap up the set and match.

#“I think I played pretty good. I fought hard and I played good,” Cartwright said.

#Pratt said it was a good match and she felt they both played well.

#“It was a good match,” Pratt said. “It was a good experience being back out here after playing some college tennis. I think we will have a great team going into the Fed Cup.”

#In the meantime, Cartwright has some unfinished business when she takes on Thompson at 2pm today in the final.

#“I love Danielle and I’m excited that she made it to the final too,” Cartwright stressed. “I can’t wait to play her tomorrow. We played a few times since we were juniors, so it will be good to see how we look against each other now.”

#Thompson, who got past Russell without playing, said she is looking forward to meeting Cartwright in the final. “I don’t know the last time I played Kerrie, but I’m just going to go out there and give it my all,” she insisted. “I just need to keep my competitive spirit up there and give it my best.”

#Thompson, who like Cartwright and Pratt was making her return to the tournament for a break, said she’s excited that the four players who emerged on top have all played together on the Fed Cup team.

#• Here’s how they

#advanced through

#the main draw:

#Men’s division

#Baker Newman def. William Fountain 6-1, 6-0; Philip Major Jr. def. Jody Turnquest 6-2, 6-2; Kevin Major Jr. def. Joshua Turnquest 7-5, 6-1, 4-0 retired; Spencer Newman def. Marvin Rolle 6-4, 6-2.

#Ladies’ division

#Kerrie Cartwright def. Sierra Donaldson 6-1, 6-0; Simone Pratt def. Sydney Clarke 6-1, 6-2; Larikah Russell def. Afrika Smith 6-0, 6-0 and Danielle Thompson def. Donesha Gibson 6-2, 6-0.