The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IESHA Shepherd can lay claim to being the best junior female tennis player in the country for the second consecutive year.

Last week, Shepherd accomplished that feat by repeating as both the under-16 and under-18 girls singles champion as the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Junior National Championships wrapped up at the National Tennis Centre.

After winning the under-16 title 6-2, 6-4 over Isabel Donaldson on Thursday, Shepherd came back on Friday and added the under-18 crown with another two-set sweep over Donaldson, this time in identical fashion 6-2, 6-2.

“It was very good. It was better than yesterday (Thursday),” said Shepherd of her victory. “I controlled most of my points and everything went as planned. I just need to cut down on the few errors I made going for the big shots and continue to improve on my serves.”

Shepherd, a 15-year-old student at Queen’s College, is hoping to use her success at the nationals as a tune-up for the International Tennis Federation’s Junior International Tennis Tournament that is being played at the NTC this week.

“I know the competition is going to be tough, so I have to play much better than I did at the nationals,” she said.

Shepherd went up 2-1 and 5-2 on a pair of breaks in the first set and after she got broke by Donaldson to start the second, Shepherd got the break again twice at 2-1 and 5-2 to seal the deal.

Also looking ahead to the ITF tournament is Shannon Francis. The 17-year-old student of Queen’s College emerged as the boys 18 champion with his 6-3, 6-1 win over O’Neil Mortimer on Friday as well.

Francis went up a 3-0, but watched as Mortimer bounced back for a 3-3 tie in the first set. Francis eventually went on for the win with another 3-0 spurt. Like the first set, Francis opened with a 3-0 advantage before Mortimer cut it to 3-1. Francis then clinched the title with another 3-0 spurt.

“I was expecting him to get a set, but I think I just overpowered him and came out with the win,” Francis said. “After the second set when I went up 3-0, I noticed that his back hand broke down, so I started hitting more at his back hand and coming to the net and he missed the points.”

There’s nothing like the thrill of victory. “I enjoyed this one because I think I played very good,” Francis said. “It’s good to be the national champion again.”

Like Shepherd, Francis is hoping that his success will carry over to the ITF tournament this week. “I think I should do good. I hope I can win at least two rounds and tough it up in the third round,” said Francis, who will play directly out of the main draw. “I am looking forward to playing some good tennis and get some good experience.”

Also on Friday, Jacobi Bain pulled off a 6-1, 6-4 win over Donte Armbrister for the boys 14 singles title. It was the second title for Bain, who on Thursday whitewashed Owen Taylor 6-0, 6-0 for the 12s crown.

“It was good. The first set I played extremely good. In the second set, I was a little shaky and I was making a lot of errors,” he said. “As it came to the end, I started to make a lot of my plays and I pulled it off. “I was keeping more balls in play than I did the last time we played. I started looping the ball and that made the difference.”

The girls 12s title went to Donisha Gibson, who beat Emma Weech 6-2, 6-1.

“It was good. I felt I did good. My service and ground stroke was great,” said Weech, the 11-year-old student of Nassau Christian Academy. “In the second set, I had an early 5-0 lead, but she was going for her ground stroke and I couldn’t return it. But I beat her three times this year, so I knew that I could still pull it off.”

Both Bain and Gibson are expected to lead the way for the Bahamas in their age group segment of the ITF Tournament this week.

Michael Major Jr won the boys 12s title on Thursday with his 5-3, 4-2 win over Anthony Burrows Jr. He was just delighted as everybody else to be crowned national champion.

“It was good. I was making too many unforced errors in the first set, but going into the second set, I tried not to make as many as I did in the first,” said the eight-year-old St John’s College student.

“I feel good about winning it. Last year, I was runner-up. So I feel much better. Plus, I played Anthony a couple of times and he beat me most of them, so I was glad that I beat him this time.”

The main draw of the ITF Tournament is scheduled to begin at the NTC at 9am.