A dozen Bahamian junior tennis players took part in the Tampa Palms Junior Summer Classic this past weekend at the Tampa Palms Golf and Tennis Club in Tampa, Florida. They were using this weekend as a tune-up for an intense week of training at the Guziar Tennis Academy in Orlando, Florida.

Sydney Clarke, 9, was a finalist in the Girls 12s, losing to Blair Buck, 4-6, 6-4 and 9-11, in three tough sets. Clarke had an opportunity to close out the match in a tie-break having led 4-2, 5-3, 8-6 and 9-7 but was unable to win the big points to clinch the singles championship. Lauryn Daxon won the Girls 14s consolation singles title over Bryn Buckner, 8-2. She lost in the first round of the main draw but was able to put on her game face in the consolation round to win three consecutive matches.

In the Girls 10s consolation final, Sydni Kerr defeated Juliana Gibson, 6-2 and 6-2. Toby Orebanwo was a finalist in the Boys 10s, losing to Thomas Lahart, 1-8, in a lopsided match. In the of the Girls 14s quarter-finals, Jade Bastian lost to Paige Leavy, 6-1 and 6-1, in a match where she was unable to win the big points. Jacobi Bain lost to eventual Boys 10s Champion Andrei Leonov in the quarter-finals, 2-6 and 5-7.

Bain had an opportunity to force a third set when leading 5-3 in the second set but Leonov raised his game and won the match in straight sets. Other players in the tournament were Cameron Bascom, and T'najh Hinsey in the Boys 10s, where both players lost in the first round of singles. Savannah Roberts played in the Girls 12s division.

The team now prepares to start a week of intense tennis training, August 15-19, with Guziar Tennis Academy. A number of outstanding Bahamian junior players like Ryan Sweeting (now plays for the United States), Jessica Sweeting and Kerrie Cartwright were trained by Nico Guziar, the chief instructor at the academy. The five-day intensive program will focus on technique, tactics, strategy, fitness and match play. All of the players train with Brajaxba Tennis at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association's (BLTA) National Tennis Centre here in New Providence and are using this week as a development opportunity to improve their overall games.

The players participating in the camp are Danielle Thompson, Erin Strachan, Jade Bastian, Lauryn Daxon, Savannah Roberts, Sydni Kerr, Sydney Clarke, Maya Weech, Tobi Orebanwo, Jacobi Bain, Cameron Bascom, T'najh Hinsey and Emma Weech. The team is coached by Bradley Bain, who will be overseeing the training camp at Guziar Academy.

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