Thomas O’Neill and Neil King will battle for bragging rights on Friday when the Roberts Manufacturing Open Senior Men’s National Final takes place at the National Tennis Centre in Wildey.
After a thrilling set of Men’s Open Singles semifinals on Tuesday, September 24th, O’Neill and King fought tremendously well to advance in the competition put on by the Barbados Tennis Association.
O’Neill got the better of fourth-seed Justin Atkins 6-2, 6-3, after outmanoeuvring his opponent and earning his place in the top two spots.
In the second semifinal, fifth-seed King upset second-seed and junior national player Aidan Clarke, winning 6-4, 6-1.
King’s aggressive baseline play and precise shot placement left Clarke struggling to keep pace, giving him a good win.
Several teams also advanced with commanding performances in the Men’s Open Doubles Round of 16.
Clarke also played the doubles with teammate Curt Seifert and they won 6-3, 6-2 over Ammon Archer and Brandon Warren.
Zane Kirton and Seanon Williams led the charge with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Adrian Catlyn and Nicholas Charles.
Cristian Blunte and Kenton Gamble battled Dimitri Kirton and Ethan Warner in a cracker-jacker contest. In the end, Blunte and Gamble were victorious 6-3, 3-6 and 15-13 in the best of three set thriller.
In another dominant display, seasoned campaigners Russell and Ryan Moseley easily dispatched Travis Licorish and Emil Trotman 6-1, 6-1. However, the Moseley brothers withdrew from the competition due to unforeseen circumstances.
This unexpected development has opened up the field for the remaining teams, including Justin Atkins and Carron Beckles, who narrowly defeated Christian Maxwell and Russell Ruck 1-6, 6-4, 12-10.
Atkins and Beckles will now move forward with a renewed sense of opportunity in the tournament.
Other notable results from the Men’s Doubles included a comprehensive 6-0, 6-1 victory for Ryan Batson and Neil King over Corey Jackman and Denis Lambert.
Top seeds Simon Lewis and Thomas O’Neill made light work of Domani Pounder and Nathan Valdez, securing a 6-1, 6-1 win.
In the Men’s Over-35 Singles quarterfinals, Matthew Weir easily defeated Anthony Coy 6-0, 6-1, earning his place in the semifinals where he will face Jonathan Bayne.
Bayne, who battled strong against Ryan Moseley, managed to emerge on top 5-7, 6-3, 15-13 in a gruelling exchange.
The Men’s Over-45 Singles quarterfinals, David Penson edged James King 6-2, 3-6, 11-9. Penson’s determination in the decider was enough to propel him into the semifinals, where he will face Junior King. Dario Parris swept Denis Lambert 6-0, 6-0, making a clear statement of his intent to challenge for the title.
In the Women’s Over-45 Doubles semifinals, the pairing of Sonia Grant and Clarice Turner will take on Billie-June Langdon and Caroline Jordan.
(AS)
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