OECS Milo tennis Championships end

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ tennis base continues to expand. And, the just concluded first ever Milo OECS Junior Invitational Championship was evidence of this, as the top young players swept six of the eight titles that were at stake.

Competing on familiar surroundings at the National Tennis Centre at Villa, the emerging talents exhibited superior skills to those of their counterparts from the sub-region. {{more}}

Such was their dominance that they were involved in all the finals.

Danielle Cupid won the Girls Under-14 Singles title at the expense of compatriot Daneya Charles.

Cupid teamed up with Michelle Gun- Munro to oust Charles and Halima Michael in the Under 14 Doubles final- an all-Vincentian affair.

Fabrice George and Shane Huggins took out the Grenadian pair of Aaron Moses and Corey Wilson to cop the Boys Under-14 Doubles.

Moses stormed back to take the Boys Under-14 Singles ahead of Gerand Phills of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Veteran of Junior tennis, Lerissa Morris captured her final title at the Under-18 level, when she took the Singles glory ahead of Grenadian Lois Alexis. Morris will set off to the University of Norfolk, Virginia on a tennis scholarship, December 29.

She however suffered at the hands of Grenada’s Alexis and Gizelle Clarke in the Doubles final, to hand the Spice Isle its second title. Morris’ partner was Sherriann John.

It was all St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Boys’ Under-18 category. Justin Gun-Munro and Romano Mc Kie beat fellowmen Jannick Tash and Duwane Thomas to secure Doubles fame.

Gun Munro lost to Agostini Soleyn 7-5, 6-3, in the final last Saturday night, as the championship ended, after six days of tennis.

There were four consolation winners, with the host accounting for three. These players were Darriel Ambrose in the Girls Under-14, Daryl Mac Leish in the Boys’Under-14, and Roxanne Russell in the Girls Under-18.

Antiguan Aaron Crichton took the consolation prize in the Boys Under-18.

The six -day championship saw participation from Dominica and St. Lucia involved 53 players, with the host accounting for 42.

A round-robin competition, a main draw and a consolation round ensured every opportunity for the players to spend time on the courts.

The championship had the presence of International Tennis Federation qualified officials from Trinidad and Tobago and was seen as a springboard to an ITF and junior world ranking tournament as early as 2007.