Under-12 top seeds Joshua Kalekeyzi and Sarah Klautky topped their opponents in their respective Boys and Girls Open Singles category on the second day of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Tennis Open Tournament, yesterday at the GBTI Recreational Facility at Bel Air.
In an exhilarating encounter, Kalekeyzi defeated Jeevan Dalip 4/4 (7/5) 4/1 while Klautky had a much easier task, winning against Allana Chung 4/0 4/0.
National junior players Mark McDonald and Heimraj Resaul also registered wins. The former topped Lladeanand Resaul 4/0 4/0 while Heimraj won against Adesh Khayyam 4/0 4/1.
Also in the boys open group stage, Adesh Khayyam trounced Jeremiah Kalekeyzi 0/4 4/2 10/5, Gopinauth Jaisankar def. Cemuel Ross 4/2 5/3, Jordan Beaton def. Shimmrob Lewis 4/1 4/0 and Judah Stephney def. Jaisankar 4/2 4/1.
In the girls’ round robin junior division, Ciara Pooran def. Deina Santbeharry 4/1 4/2, number one U-14 top seed Shivani Persaud def. Santbeharry 4/0 4/0, and u-14 number two seed Kalyca Fraser def. Margaret Subryan 4/1 4/2.
Meanwhile on Saturday, the opening day of the tournament, Okenna Jackson in his first attempt at the title was defeated by Delon Fraser 6/2 in the novice group. Jamal Goodluck took a 6/2 win over Martin Campbell. In the Novice Medley Doubles, Goodluck and Tandy Primo took a win of 6/2 over the new partnership of Fiona Bushel and Martin Campbell.
The Assuria Novice Doubles runners-up Philbert Clark and Diana Bharrat lost to Joseph DeJonge and Fiona Bushel 6/1, 6/1 in the Mixed Doubles.
There was intense competition on court one in the match involving Khwan Rodney and Romario Chanderballi. The match came down to the battle of wills and consistency. Rodney took the first set 6/1 however he had to battle against the big serves of the left handed player, Chanderballi.
The second set proved to be tougher with the game going into a tiebreaker. It seemed as if a third set loomed when Chanderballi levelled the tiebreaker at 4-4. Rodney then secured the tiebreaker at 7/4 to defeat Chanderballi 6/1, 7/6(7/4).
Rodney made mention of the speed of the court but thinks he will be better prepared to play his next opponent, Indian national Chethan Narayan, who has excellent ground strokes. Matches will continue today at the GBTI Recreational Centre in Bel Park.
In the Men’s open Stephen Bailey trounced Dominic Fraser 6/2 6/0. The u-14 collaboration of Mark McDonald and Hemraj Resaul defeated season u-18 players Benedict Sukraj and Khalis Gobin 6/4 7/6 (7/2).
