INTER-club rivalry once again rose in the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Independence Jubilee Open tournament, as Kalyca Fraser and Shivani Persaud went head-to-head to seize the coveted Girls Open Singles title. However, Fraser, known for her great technique, served to hold her first game, much to the expectation of the spectators.
Persaud’s consistency was evident as she served and held to bring the games to 1-1. This did not rattle Fraser, as she repeated her hold on serve to earn the first break in set at 2-1. Serving at 1-2, Persaud’s agility awarded her the fourth game, resulting in yet another tie in games at 2-2.
The players continued to hold their service games until their last tie in the first set at 4-4. Fraser admitted that her opponent was more consistent than she was, so she resorted to work on her placement of balls to gain the upper hand.
Serving at 4-4, this technique allowed her to win her service game to lead Persaud at 5-4. The set, characterised by gruelling rallies, was won by Fraser after she broke Persaud’s service game.
The players traded service holds in the second set up to 2-2, causing tennis fans to expect the match to go to a third set, but Persaud struggled to maintain the trend, if not lead her opponent. Though both players were exhausted, as fate would have it, Fraser mustered the zeal to claim the second set by winning a whopping four consecutive games and at 6-4, 6-2, Fraser was crowned Girls Open Singles champion.
In other results, H. Reswaul/J. Kalekezi crushed V. Resaul/D. Kalekyezi 6-1, 6-1, while in the mixed Open doubles semi-finals, G. Lowden/S. Daly demilished D. Fraser/K. Fraser 6-0, 6-0 and A. Downes/A. Gentle crushed J. Beaton/C. Pooran 6-0, 6-1.
In the Novices medley singles semi-finals, Devon Gonsalves nlanked Brian Primo 6-0.