The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

JUSTIN Roberts’ appearance in the men’s singles at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, came to an end yesterday.

The 22-year-old got eliminated by No.8 seed Jose Hernandez of the Dominican Republic in set scores of 6-4 and 6-2 in a match that lasted one hour and three minutes on court two at the Lawn Tennis Club.

Team manager Derron Donaldson said it turned out to be a very competitive match.

“Justin was hanging in there, but the guy is a very good player, very intense player, but overall, I think we all know that if Justin and all of our players play more at that level, they can compete with them,” Donaldson said.

“Clearly the talent is there, the skills set is there. It’s just that guys like Justin, when they are in this scenario again, it’s more about reacting rather than thinking about what to do to keep this same high level throughout the match.”

Donaldson said it was good that Roberts came into the games having played some M5 Tournaments in Cancun, Mexico where he won his first ITF doubles and singles crowns.

He said once he’s done with college, he should be able to continue playing more international tournaments to keep at that competitive level as he will be on the pro circuit.

Donaldson’s only wish is that the Bahamas was represented by at least one female player. Despite that there were only two male players, Donaldson said Roberts and Newman gave it their best shot.

In the first set in yesterday’s match that took 40 minutes to be completed, Roberts recorded two aces, but he also had five double faults, compared to Hernandez with just one ace.

Hernandez was also more efficient on his first serve, connecting on 18-of-25. Roberts was 28-of-41.

Roberts got 18-of-26 points on first set and Hernandez was 14-of-18.

They played for 32 minutes in the second set as Hernandez got the only ace.

Roberts was 19-of-25 on first serve, while Hernandez was 17-for-25. Roberts won just eight of his 19 points on the first serve, but Hernandez was 13-of-17.

Roberts, the Bahamian flag carrier during the opening ceremonies at the games, won his first-round match in a marathon affair in two hours and 35 minutes as he got by Sergio Galdos of Peru 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 on Monday.

In doubles on Tuesday, Roberts teamed up with Baker Newman where they lost to the more experienced team of Guido Andreozzi and Facundo Bagis of Argentina 6-2, 6-2 in a match that lasted 56 minutes. Prior to the doubles, Newman was also ousted out of singles, losing 6-0, 6-1 in one hour to Andreozzi.

Newman breezed through his first-round match on Monday with a 6-2, 6-2 decision over Lluis Miralles of El Salvador in one hour and 17 minutes.With tennis now complete, the Bahamas delegation will prepare for the competitors to compete in swimming, judo and track and field starting this weekend in Lima.