Smith 'shaking' with excitement after double gold

Bermudian tennis star Tyler Smith won two more medals on Friday morning to complete an impressive gold medal hat-trick at the NatWest Island Games.

Smith won gold in the team event earlier in the week and continued her hot streak by winning the singles final against Laura Feely of the Isle of Man. 

After a short break to catch her breath she was back out on the court, pairing up with Erika Bove to win gold in doubles against Karen Faragher and Katie Tinkler, also from the Isle of Man.

Smith managed to win a difficult first set in her singles match 7-5 despite a shaky start. She told the Bermuda Sun: “In the first set I was actually very nervous. I couldn’t get a ball over the net. I was thinking too much and getting frustrated, but I was able to pull myself together.”

Once she took the first set there was no looking back for Smith as she powered through the second set, taking it easily 6-1 in front of an ecstatic Bermudian crowd.

Smith was able to continue her momentum through the doubles championship alongside Bove. They had one or two rough patches but for the most part sailed through, taking both sets 6-2.

Bove was thrilled to get her second gold and happy to get it alongside Smith, who was also her team-mate in the team event earlier in the week. She told the Sun: “I feel awesome. This is fantastic. This is what we trained for. We had a plan and we stuck to the plan.

“It’s an honour for me to represent Bermuda and get two golds. I wanted especially to get this gold playing with Tyler. It’s an advantage for me to play with a great player like her. She makes it easy for me.”

Smith said: “I thought I was going to do pretty well coming in and I felt that I could medal but I didn’t think I could get three golds.

“I was so excited I was shaking when I got off the court. It’s been a really good experience playing at home with the support of the crowd and I’m really honoured to be playing for my country and win gold for them.”

The men’s doubles team David Thomas and Neal Towlson played hard but had to settle for silver after they lost in straight sets to Jersey team Scott Clayton and James Connelly.

Bermudian doubles teams of Gavin Manders and Jensen Bascome, and Jacklyn and Tara Lambert took bronze for Bermuda after losses in their semi-finals.