Number nine seed Benjettan Osbourne defeated Jordan Beaton 7/6, 7/1, 6/2 when play in the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry continued on Friday evening at the bank’s tennis facility, Bel Air Park, Georgetown.Osbourne was scheduled to meet veteran player Rudy Grant last evening in the men’s open final.
According to a release from the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) the Osbourne versus Beaton match was the most anticipated one for the evening and it lived to its expectations as Osborne served to begin the match, which featured two failed break chances by Beaton.
He held his own serve, leveling the match at one game apiece. Osborne was immediately broken after that and appeared to lose all focus. Osborne eventually picked up the pace and placed himself in the position to serve for the game at 5/4 but Beaton held on to break his serve and ultimately took the first set to a tiebreaker.
Osborne turned on the ignition, stepped on the gas and raced to a 6-0 lead in the tiebreaker. He surrendered the set with a clean down the line winner to rack up 16 winners in the first set.
Taking the momentum into the second set, Osborne broke his opponent’s serve with a softly hit forehand shot. That trend (losing serves) continued until the fourth game, when Osborne held serve and immediately broke to go up 4/1.
Both players exchanged a break in serve. Osborne secured the next game which gave him the win at 7/6 (7/1),6/2.
He sets up another match with Grant who is looking for the opportunity to settle old scores. The two clashed before in a three-set which lasted over two hours in Osborne favour. 4/6, 7/5, 6/2.
On Friday evening also, No. 1 seed Anthony Downes hardly broke a sweat in his first match of the tournament against national player, Keenan Persaud.
The sign of nervousness was evident as Persaud started the game with a few shaky shots. He produced a handful of winning shots but this did not make an impact in the indomitable Downes who won the match 6/0, 6/1.
Former Caribbean under-12 champion Afruica Gentle emerged victorious in her match against Shivani Persaud.
Despite the big swings launched at her, she held her ground and made equally damaging counter shots at Gentle. Her forehand was her biggest weapon but Gentle played strategically by hitting the balls which was out of Persaud’s hitting range. Gentle won her match 7/5, 6/4.
In the Men’s Open, Bishan Dalip held on to defeat Lemuel Ross. The final score was 6/3, 6/3.