National junior lawn tennis player, Aruna Ramrattan, defeated St Vincent and the Grenadines’ fifth seeded girls’ Under-18 player Olivia Haslam yesterday to register a significant win for the Guyana team at the International Tennis Federation Junior tournament in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Ramrattan thrashed Haslam 6 – 2, 6 – 3.
However, in the doubles department, Ramrattan, teaming up with Shawna Gentle, lost to Trinidad’s Raye-Ann Sandy and Breana Stampfli in a women’s doubles encounter.
Ramrattan yesterday told Stabroek Sport that she was very satisfied with her victory and will be putting all of her focus into her round two match against Germany’s Jasmin Jebawy.
“I just prepared for it. I felt like I would’ve done well, and I’m glad that I did. I felt cool about it, I went out and did my best and right now my focus is on the next match and trying to do my best again,” she stated.
Speaking of her upcoming opponent Ramrattan said that despite Jebawy being ranked higher than herself, she was not going to let herself be intimidated which could affect her performance but was going to put her best foot forward.
“I know that she [Jebawy] plays well, but I still believe that I can do well, so I’m just going to go out and try to do my best and we’ll see what happens,” Ramrattan added.
In other results, Guyana’s Krystal Sukra lost 0-6, 0-6 to American Kayla Gammie while Gentle was beaten 1-6, 2-6, by Barbadian Alyssa Fuentes.
Sukra, however, still remains in the competition as she will team up with Barbados’ Michaela Batson to compete against Barbados’ Ancia Ifill and Trinidad’s Amanda Soo Ping Chow in a girls’ doubles match.
Meanwhile Nicola Ramdyhan lost her quarter-final match 4-6, 4-6 to Antigua’s D’Jeri Raymond on Monday.
And, in the boys division, Gavin Lewis, Daniel Lopes and Benedict Sukra all proceeded to the second round of the consolation tournament.
Lewis defeated St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Justin Robinson 4-1, 4-2 while Lopes got the better of Akeem Guy 5-3, 4-2 and Sukra won from Taquel Lewis by a walkover.
The other participant, Judah Stephney, suffered a 3-5, 0-4 defeat to St. Vincent’s Alex Harry.
Lewis is set to play the group’s number one seed Barbadian Shane Mustor, Lopes will tackle the number three seeded Juanaldo Greig and Sukra will play Stephney’s conqueror Harry.
