Barbados Tennis Stars Shine in COTECC Tournaments Across the Region

A number of future Barbados tennis stars are competing across the region this summer, contesting tournaments under the banner of the Confederation of Tennis and Central America and the Caribbean (COTECC).

The Under-14 and Under-12 Tennis tour commenced in Trinidad & Tobago in mid July, with the Southern Region U12 Championships. There, the team of Zane Kirton (Team Leader), Cruz Thornton, Liam Cave, and Damien Applewhaite (Captain) placed third in the boys.

Barbados were sixth in the girls with Sienna Lopez, Victoria Reifer, and Julian Baird (Captain).

Next up was the U14 St Vincent & the Grenadines Tennis Association Chatoyers Invitational 2024, which concludes on Thursday. At press time, Dimitri Kirton was set to meet his brother Zane Kirton for the individual boys’ title.

Zane, who is 12 years old, won through to the final by beating Brandon Brisbane of St Kitts & Nevis 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Dimitri – who turns 14 in December – earned his final spot by overcoming El Salvador’s Mateo Gutierrez 6-4, 7-6(5).

Gutierrez came in as the second seed, whilst Antigua & Barbuda’s Giovanni Quinn was the top seed. Quinn was ousted 6-3, 6-2 by the younger Kirton brother in the opening round of play.

The Kirtons will also play for the doubles title on Thursday, Emancipation Day. They face off against Brisbane and Quinn, the number one seeded pair. The Kirtons, the number two seed, got past Ethan Kent of St Vincent & the Grenadines and Krish Puga of Cuba 6-0, 6-1 in the semis.

Upon conclusion of the tournament in St Vincent & the Grenadines, the Kirtons and Gutierrez will travel to Saint Lucia. They will be among 16 boys in the U14 draw at the 39th COTECC International Junior Tennis Championship.

All three will be in the top half of the draw. Gutierrez will be the second seed, Dimitri the third, and Zane the fifth in the tournament being sponsored by Sagicor Life, in collaboration with the Saint Lucia Tennis Association. The championship will be played at the National Tennis Centre in Gros Islet.

Also competing in Saint Lucia among the girls will be 13-year-old Micah Austin and 12-year-old Adai Hope. Austin and Hope are ranked ninth and 11th, respectively, in a 12-person field. Competition in Saint Lucia starts on Saturday morning.

(TF)