Up and coming tennis players from all over St. Croix spent the weekend battling it out on the courts at The St. Croix Tennis Club at Beeston Hill. Players competed in various age groups in the Virgin Islands Tennis Association (VITA) sanctioned tournament in order to achieve points in the VITA Junior ranking system. Rankings allow top players the opportunity to represent the association in various tournaments throughout the Caribbean and South America.
Coach Kevin Motta, director of The Junior Competitive Program at the Beeston Hill Tennis Club, and Coach Greg James hosted the tournament that started on Friday, Feb. 22 and ran through Sunday Feb. 24.
"It was an exciting tournament. We had some great matches between the 10 and Unders and an especially exciting match in the Girls 18 and Under semi-finals with a surprising comeback by Hannah Schuck against Emesha Francis. The match went into a third set with a final score of (0-6) (6-4) (10-7)." said James. "We saw a lot of improvement with some of the newer kids playing against seasoned junior players. So, we are really excited about the development of Junior Tennis in the VI."
Motta was impressed with the high level of skill exhibited during the matches and with the junior players’ consistent display of proper tennis etiquette and excellent sportsmanship. "The event brought in new faces and new friends were made. Our continuing goal with the Juniors Competitive Program is to introduce the youth of St Croix to the sport of tennis." said Coach Motta.
Saturday afternoon also featured a brief Pee Wee Tournament that allowed some of the younger players in the Beeston Hill Juniors Program to experience their first competitive play in a fun atmosphere. Players served and volleyed while keeping track of points. Each participant received a certificate and a prize.
VITA Beeston Hill Tournament Winners:
Boys 10 and Under – Adrian Ricketts (4-2) (4-0)
Boys 12 and Under – Alec Kuipers (6-0) (6-0)
Boys 14 and Under – Alec Kuipers (6-0) (6-0)
Boys 16 and Under – Jordan Lawrence (6-1) (6-2)
Boys 18 and Under – Hakeem Logie (6-2) (6-2)
Girls 10 and Under – Nati Kuipers (4-1) (4-2)
Girls 12 and Under – Kishaundah Romain (6-4) (6-1)
Girls 14 and Under – Thea D’Eramo (6-1) (6-0)
Girls 16 and Under – Izhaneeh Deterville (6-2) (6-1)
Girls 18 and Under – Elle Abraham (6-1) (6-0)
St Croix Tennis Club Juniors Program: http://tennisclubstx.com/junior-tennis.html; http://www.usvitennis.com