Top rankings set for junior tennis players
Albert Berksoy, who was voted most improved (Photo by Martin Wilkinson)
(CNS Local Life): The Cayman Islands Tennis Club (CITC) hosted its final event of 2017 this past weekend, the PwC Junior Circuit Masters Tennis Tournament, with the year’s top players in each age group named at the end of the competition. The series comprises six tournaments throughout the year with the top eight juniors in each division invited to participate in the Masters. All matches were played at the CITC beginning on Friday, with the finals on Saturday.
In the under 10 division, Ben Priaulx and Phin Ellison played a competitive final, stated a press release. The match went back and forth, with Ellison winning 6-3, 6-3 in a tough two-set contest. This was a repeat win for Ellison with Priaulx a newcomer to the finals who has worked hard on his tennis, the release said.
Jakub Neveril and Alex Priestley took the courts in a repeat of a previous 14 and under final, with Neveril emerging on top for the second time in a row. Neveril has dominated the year in his division without losing a match for the entire PwC series. After the final, he thanked his parents and coaches for their support and then hinted that he might make the decision to move up and become the youngest player in the 18 and under division next year.
That age group produced an epic final with Jake Booker defeating Lauren Fullerton 6-3, 6-2. This was the first time that these two juniors were able to meet in the finals as the number one seed, Jade Wilkinson, lost to Fullerton in the semifinals on Friday, having to retire from the match due an injury to her hand.
With the end of the series, the top-ranked juniors for the year were Jake Fagan (10 and under); Neveril (14 and under); and Jade Wilkinson (18 and under). Albert Berksoy earned the “Most Improved Award”, voted on by his peers and the board. Neveril received the “Sportsmanship Award” and Fullerton took home the “Paul Howard Award”.
Tournament director Rob Seward thanked the Tennis Federation of the Cayman Islands (TFCI) and PwC for their continued efforts in growing tennis in Cayman, saying he hopes to maintain these relationships as long as possible. He added he was very impressed with the juniors who he coaches individually – Ellison, Neveril and Booker – saying, “I am proud of you guys.”
Sponsored by PwC and TFCI, the tournament series is hosted by CITC and The Courts at The Ritz-Carlton.
