The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

JUSTIN Roberts, getting back to full swing after coming off an injury that hampered the last part of his collegiate season, picked up his first main draw victory to earn earn his first ATP point for the year

Roberts, the only Bahamian male player with any ATP point, pulled off a 6-3, 6-4 win over Juan Manuel Matute of Argentina at the Sargent & Collins, LLP Men’s $10,000 Futures.

Roberts, however, got eliminated in the second round, losing his second round match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to Hanz Hach, the No.7 seed from Mexico.

“The tournament was great. This was just my second match since March,” said Roberts, after coming off the injury. “So it was good to get in the type of performance that I got.

“It wasn’t the best, but I think my performance was good enough to get me to get through the qualifying round and into the main draw and helped me to get my first ATP points.”

In the qualifying round, Roberts, playing as the No.5 seed, won his first round, beating Thomas Susen from Canada 6-3, 6-2. He came back in the second round and won 6-4, 6-2 over Sahil Gaware from Indiana. And in the third round, Roberts disposed of Ryoto Tachi of Japan 6-1, 6-2 to get into the main draw.

Roberts, a 6-0 sophomore at the University of South Florida, is now playing in another tournament in Rochester, New York.

Roberts won his first round match 7-6 (5), 6-3 over Van Ordenlain.

Meanwhile on the ladies’ side, Kerrie Cartwright is making her presence felt In Pro USTA Women’s Singles play. She was successful in winning the tournament which was sponsored by Crow Canon Country Club in Danville, California.

Cartwright, a member of the Bahamas Fed Cup team, received two byes and played Saltzen in the quarterfinals where she won 6-3 7-5. Cartwright then went on to face K. Long in the semifinals and won 6-3, 6-1. And in the final, Cartwright knocked Manji 6-2, 7-5.

Cartwright, a 2015 graduate of Florida State, was able to defeat all of her opponents in the tournament in two sets. She has a very intensive training program in California and we now see the results of the fruit of her labours.

He now have a total of four points and will end up improving on his current ranking of 1402