THIS year’s Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry sponsored Open tennis tournament commenced on Wednesday night last, with big wins in the Men’s singles for Owen Lewis, Jonathan Fagundes and veteran Harry Panday, at the Bank’s Recreational Centre, Bel Air. As the tournament opened with four matches in the men’s singles, Lewis, Fagundes and Panday, three of the tournament’s unseeded players, pulled off upset wins against three of the tournament’s top ranking players as they paved their way to the second round.

Following a brief opening ceremony, things on the court started off with Panday taking on the tournament’s fifth seed, Khalif Gobin.

Panday’s experience overpowered Gobin, to send the former national champion toppling to a 6 – 7, 6 – 4, 6 – 3 lost and Lewis snagged the second men’s singles win of the night when he came up against number seven ranked Seanden David-Longe to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Jonathan Christie took a comfortable 7-5, 6-1 victory over Eduardo Arguello, before Fagundes went head to head with Oswin Coggins, and won 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

In a match that went way into the night, Fagundes and the tournament’s sixth seed Coggins, exchanged strokes before Fagundes broke serve to lead 5-3 in the eighth game of the first set and served again to finish off the set.  

Fagundes tried to keep in up with Coggins powerful ground strokes in the second set as his opponent lifted his game, but his (Fagundes) errors that gave the second set away to Coggins.

Fagundes got the edge that he needed as the match closed there for the night as play in the tournament closed off for the night. Fagundes was able to regroup himself and return with new vigor when the match continued yesterday [THURSDAY] morning, as he finished off an out of sorts Coggins, who was broken twice.

The tournament continued last evening with more matches in the Men’s singles, with Ryan Pandy taking on Joseph DeJonge; Kester Abrams was up against veteran Rudy Grant; Bushan Dalip was matched with Sewon McGarrel and Victor Demchenko was playing against Albert Madramootoo.

Play will also continue this evening and throughout the weekend, with today’s schedule of matches set to serve off with Ronald Murray taking on Veeraj Judgeo in the Men’s singles, Jamaali Holmer and Efanne Doobay doing battle in the Ladies singles at 17:15hrs, and will be followed by Khemraj Goberdhan and Durai Viayapuri in a Men’s 35 singles encounter.
The marquee matchup for today is expected when Andre Erskine takes on Benjettan Osboure in another Men’s singles encounter, to draw the curtains on today’s action.