Intense action on opening Night

By Sean Devers
ON a wet and windy evening at the Georgetown Club on the opening day of Woodpecker Junior Nationals on Monday, 11 matches were contested.

On Court two, in the Boys U-17 category, Louis Da Silva defeated Josh Verwey 3-0.

Coached by World over-35 Masters singles champion, Nicolette Fernandes, Verwey tried his best to put up a spirted fight but Da Silva was too good on the day as he took the first game 11-5.

Verwey offered some resistance in the second stanza and was engaged in good rallies to score a point but Da Silva eventually close off the game 11-5 before winning the third game 11-5.

Watched by a fair-sized gathering of mainly the parents of the young players and several seniors, and with rain pounding on the roof of the Georgetown Club, Ethan Bulkan beat Zion Hickerson in the boys U-11s, 11-8, 11-4 while in the Boys U-15s, Richard Rodrigues defeated Avian Wade 11-2, 11-5, 11-7.

Playing in the Boys U-13, the talented Bulkan got the better of his older opponent, Jacob McDonald 11-0, 11-1, 11-1.

Blake Edwards beat Justin Goberdhan 11-9, 11- 6, 11-5 in the Boys U-15 while in boys U-17, Demetri Lowe defeated Chad De Abreu 10-12,12-10, 11-9, 5-11 in one of the most competitive encounters of the night.

In the Girls U-15, Malia Maikoo beat Tiana Gomes 11-8, 11-5, 11-2, while Brenno Da Silva beat Nikolas Sawh 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 in the Boys U-15.

In the Girls U-17, Safirah Summer was too hot for Maikoo in her 11-3, 11-2, 11-5 victory.

The action was scheduled to continue last evening from 5:00pm with the more older Junior players on show.