Top seed Johnson on course in General Accident Open Tennis Championships – April 9
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Top seed Johnson on course in General Accident Open Tennis Championships - April 9
TOP seed Damion Johnson advanced to the semi-final of the 2016 General Accident Insurance Company Open Tennis Championships Men’s Singles, after winning his quarter-final match at the Liguanea Club on Thursday night.
Johnson was devastating in his quarter-final encounter against sixth-seeded David Goldsmith, winning convincingly 6-1, 6-0 to move into the semi-finals, which were slated to be played last night.
Johnson was scheduled to face 14-year-old Campion College student Blaise Bicknell in his semi-final. Coincidentally, Johnson is the coach of Bicknell.
Bicknell played extremely well in his quarter-final on Thursday night as he knocked out fourth-seeded Macoy Malcolm, coming from a set down to win, 4-6, 6-2, (10-3 super tiebreaker). Bicknell proved too strong for Malcolm in the second set and also the super tiebreaker.
Meanwhile Johnson, the former Jamaica’s number one player for Jamaica who is now ranked at number two, has played three games and has dispatched his opponents quite easily, and looked very poised heading to Sunday’s final.
“Presently, my serves are good, so are my shots and returns going smoothly. I won’t be taking Bicknell that easily, as I will play him just as how I have been playing my other opponents,” Johnson said.
Johnson thought he would face second-seeded Dwayne Pagon in tomorrow night’s men’s singes final, providing both come out with wins in their semi-finals. Pagon was due to play Matthew Rodriques in a quarter-final round match last night. Rodriques, seeded at 14, had knocked out seventh seed Yussuf Migoko in straight sets 7-5, 7-6.
Bicknell was satisfied wth his victory: “The win was a good one and I have been playing quite well and I am satisfied.
“Playing against my coach, Johnson will not be easy, but I am hoping to put up a good and exciting challenge. He is a very good player and will be very hard to beat,” Bicknell said.
The women’s open singles semi-finals were also slated to be played last night with top seed Ffion Fletcher facing third-seeded Micheala Stepehens,
Second-seeded Shaneka Knight is through to the women’s open singles final after defeating fourth seed Selena Blythe in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday night.
Fletcher had beaten unseeded Kobi Walcott 6-3, 6-1 in her quarter-final round encounter, while Stephens got a walkover against Monique Hanson. Blythe stopped Hayley McNair 6-3, 6-1, while Knight got a walk over against Daniella Silvera in quarter-final action.
Top seed Pagon defeated Rafaek Romero 6-1, 6-1 for a place in the semi-finals, where he will meet Warren Bell who beat Leighton Burton 3-6, 7-5 (10-7 super tiebreaker) on Thursday night in their quarter-finals in the 35 and over men’s singles.
The other quarter-finals saw David Shirley beat unseeded Jaslin Salmon 6-0, 6-1, while second seed Yussuf Migoko beat Peter Berry, who retired trailing 6-2, 3-0.
All finals will be played tomorrow afternoon beginning at 3:00 pm.