January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Young tennis players struggle
The team of Cayla Cross, 14, Alexander Cooper, 13, and Jack Keys, 11, finished seventh out of the 11 nations competing in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) 14 & Under Caribbean Development Championships.
Cross, who has played in the tournament twice before, finished sixth in the girls draw.
The boys did not fare quite as well but coach Brent Smith said he was pleased with the progress made by all three players.
He said the idea of the tournament was to get international exposure for some of the island's most promising youngsters, allowing them tough competition beyond Bermuda's own talent pool.
The tournament was structured to allow the youngsters to be involved in competitive action every day. The three players had eight games, in all.
“They performed well and it was of great value in terms of getting them games beyond Bermuda.
“The standard was high, but not too high. We were just about in the middle. It was good for their mental toughness to be playing at that level every day.”
He said Bermuda's players were at a disadvantage compared to Caribbean islands because the expense of air travel meant they were not able to compete with the top players in the region on a regular basis.
Barbados won the tournament with hosts Trinidad & Tobago in second place.
Bermuda finished above the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Grenada and Dominica.[[In-content Ad]]
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