It was quite a run for Donte Armbrister and the young Bahamian team as they wrapped up competition in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, last week.

Playing in the JITIC (Junior International Tennis Championships) Under-14 Tournament, Armbrister made it all the way to the final, before falling in straight sets to the tournament’s top seeded player Javier Flores, of El Salvador, 7-5 and 6-4. Back home here in The Bahamas, Armbrister said that it was quite an experience, and he looks forward to future international tournaments.

Armbrister, 13, said that he was a bit nervous, playing in his first JITIC final, but he is happy for the progress he made. The ninth grader at Temple Christian School is coached by J.J Fountain.

“I felt good. I just need to keep working on serve,” said Armbrister yesterday. “I could feel myself improving, and that’s the important thing. Right now I think that I am playing some of my best tennis. I’m just looking forward to continue improving.”

Armbrister mowed his way through the main draw of the tournament, outlasting Frederick Sydow, of Aruba, in the quarters, and taking care of Fabian Taracene, of Guatemala, in the semis, before being defeated by Flores in the final. He won both his quarter-final and semi-final matches in three sets, and was looking to complete the journey by upsetting Flores in the final.

“A Bahamian haven’t won in a while, so there was a lot of pressure, but I went out there and gave my all,” he said. “I’m just happy that I was able to perform well. I love the sport, and would love to stay in it long term.”

In a press release, an official from the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) stated that they are very proud of the achievements of not just Armbrister, but the entire team that travelled to Santo Domingo. The team consisted of Armbrister, Trenton Fowler, Sydney Clarke, Sydni Kerr, Elana Mackey and Emma Weech.

“Congratulations to this team which performed exceptionally well,” the statement read. “The Bahamas was able to boast of one finalist appearance by Donte Armbrister for the boys, and two semi-finalist appearances by Sydney Clarke who finished fourth in the under-14 girls category and was also a semi-finalist for the girls doubles division.”

Clarke lost in the semis to Romary Cardenas, of Mexico, in straight sets. In doubles, Clarke teamed up with Sydni Kerr, and the duo made it all the way to the semis before falling to the Jamaica-Mexico duo of Jenna Harrison and Cardenas in straight sets.

“My performance went well. I was proud of myself because I made it to the semis,” said Clarke. “I was confident in all of my matches, and I think it was a good tournament for me. I just have to keep improving, work on my serve and volley game, and I think I will be alright. I’m just going to continue practicing, and doing my best at international tournaments.”

Clarke, a 13-year-old student of H.O. Nash Junior High School, said that she is looking forward to more tournaments in the future.

“The competition was very stiff. It showed me where I need to be in terms of level of play. I just have to stay confident in my shots and just execute,” she said.

Kerr didn’t advance to the main draw, but performed very well in the consolation round, and was a doubles semi-finalist with Clarke.

“I felt that I performed pretty well. I’m sure that I could have done much better but I’m satisfied,” she said. “I feel myself progressing. Mentally, I tend to fall down sometimes, but I’m working on that. I love tennis and would love to continue in it.”

Kerr, 14, is coached by Bradley Bain and Ricardo Demeritte, and is a ninth grader at Queen’s College.

“The competition was pretty fierce. I just have to keep improving, and hopefully I’ll get to that next level,” she said.

Elana Mackey, 12, made it all the way to the quarter-finals before bowing out. She fell to Gabriela Lopez, of Guatemala, 6-3 and 6-4.

“It was a good experience for me - just to see how I would fare against other international players was a good experience,” she said. “I learned a lot from the competition. I know where I need to be, and I know what I need to do to get there. I’m going to put in the work - work on my net game, volleys and overheads. I like tennis, and would love to continue.”

The eighth grader at Nassau Christian Academy (NCA) is coached by Vince Andrews and Sandy Reid. She said that she is looking to attend a tennis academy in the not too distant future.

The team, which returned home on Sunday, was coached by Ricardo Demeritte.

BLTA executive traveling with the team Darnette Weir said that they worked very well together, and that the future of tennis in The Bahamas is extremely bright.

“This team gelled together very well. The coach Ricardo Demeritte did a great job with them,” she said. “Ricardo was very instrumental in their performances. We were happy that we, once again, put The Bahamas on the map in junior tennis. We intend to do greater things in the future.”

The tournament was sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as a top junior tournament for boys and girls in this region. It showcases some of the top junior tennis players from the Caribbean and Central American regions.