Joshua, Johnson make big splash at Public Courts.
TITLE favourites Liam Gomez and Trevine Sellier were both sent packing when the National Open Tennis Championships continued yesterday at Eddie Taylor Public Courts, King George V Park, St Clair.
Despite being the No. 4 seed, Gomez, who was a member of the last three Trinidad and Tobago Davis Cup teams, was considered the man to beat.
But after struggling to defeat last year’s national under-18 runner-up Akiel Duke in three sets the night before, the 21-year-old former United States based player was stunned 7-5, 6-3 by seventh-seeded Tobagonian Joshua Abraham in the quarterfinals.
Abraham, last year’s national under-18 champ, will not have to meet his twin brother in today’s semifinals as, after not dropping a single game in his first two matches, the eighth-seeded Ty came up against No. 1 seed Richard Chung and was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by the Tranquillity Open champ.
The other semifinal encounter will be between “Tranquil” runner-up Vaughn Wilson and Luke De Caires. The second-seeded Wilson cruised past fellow Tobagonian Dunstan De Noon 6-4, 6-1 in yesterday’s quarters, but De Caires was even more impressive as the No. 3 seed brushed aside fifth-seeded Jovani Lewis 6-2, 6-1.
After taking a set from Sellier as a 14-year-old in “Tranquil” a few years ago, Olivia Johnson was considered a tricky opponent for the top seed.
But the pint-sized former national under-16 champ, home on vacation from studies in Canada, proved to be far more than that as she went on to defeat the Fed Cup player 6-3, 7-5 in the round of 16.
The women’s quarters will take place today and Johnson’s tough draw will not get any easier as she comes up against another former under-14 and 16 champ, Nalini Maharaj.
The former runner-up in this tournament moved into the last eight yesterday with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over under-16 player Danielle Devenish.
Third-seeded Shania Millington allowed Juliet Campbell just one game, but Amanda Soo Ping Chow was even more impressive as Farisha Mohammed failed to trouble the scorer against the No. 4 seed.
In stark contrast, Anya King edged Celine Ramsumair 6-3, 5-7, 13/11, while Leah Alcala defeated Sherisse Arjoon 6-4, 6-4 and Tobagonian Kezia Koroma was a 7-5, 6-0 winner over Leontien Snijders.
Second seed Cindy Low (formerly Kabli) did not even have to take the court as Joulize Leander failed to show.
The women’s quarters and men’s semis will get going at five p.m.