Saint Lucians Denney Estava and Sanjay Lake have both advanced to the main draw of the COTECC Powerade Under-14 Tennis Tournament at the Raymond Forde National Tennis Centre in Bridgetown, Barbados, following Sunday’s preliminary rounds. It’s the first of two regional tournaments that the young men, who represent Acers Tennis Academy, will play this month.
Estava made it look easy with two wins in straight sets. A student at Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School, Estava breezed through the round-robin phase, first beating Trinidad & Tobago’s Jaiden Gomandy 6-1, 6-0, then Barbados’ Liam Cave 6-1, 6-2. Estava earned the #3 seed heading into the main draw.
Lake, a student at Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School, overcame a tough start, falling in his first match to Trinidad & Tobago’s Novak Malcolm, 6-1, 6-1. The young Saint Lucian showed resilience and determination, bouncing back in a gripping three-set battle against Cruz Thornton of Barbados. He secured his spot in the main draw with a 6-3, 2-6, 10-3 victory.
On Monday, both boys were down to take on opponents from Trinidad & Tobago in the Round of 16. Lake was set to face Christopher Khan in his first main draw match of the competition, while Denney Estava was down to meet Jaysean Wells. The Saint Lucian duo was also slated to clash with Trinidad & Tobago’s Jacob Jacelon and Jaysean Wells in boys’ doubles.
The tournament is crucial for both players, as they are competing for valuable COTECC ranking points. Their performance here will not only reflect their growth but also impact their regional standing.
Following the Powerade Tournament, the players will continue their regional tour with a stop in Trinidad & Tobago for the Trinity Cup.
