The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

For the first time since 2017, Spencer Newman got to hoist the men’s championship trophy as the winner of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s 2021 Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals.

True to form, Newman, playing as the No.3 seed in the draw, was crowned the champion for the second time yesterday at the National Tennis Centre as he held off veteran No.2 seed Marvin Rolle for an identical 6-3, 6-3 win.

With his performance putting a lid on the week-long tournament, Newman got to celebrate just with his younger brother and top ranked Baker Newman, who moments before his match completed, pulled off the third place honours almost in similar fashion with a 6-2, 6-3 decision over collegian Donte Armbrister - the No.4 seed.

While the men wrapped up play in the tournament, which saw the top two players earn the rights to be selected to the 2022 Davis Cup team for men, top seed Sydney Clarke prevailed with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over fellow collegian Elana Mackey, the No.2 seed, in the ladies’ final on Wednesday. In the process, Clarke and Mackey booked their spots on the Billie Jean King Cup for women.

Coming off his gruelling 6-1, 6-7 (5), 205 retired decision over Baker Newman in their semi-final match on Wednesday, Spencer Newman said:

“It felt good. I definitely owe this to Baker for his generosity and getting me ready for the nationals,” said Spencer Newman, the 28-year-old big brother. “It feels good to win the tournament for sure. I got a spot on the Davis Cup team, so it’s awesome.”

Against the 38-year-old Rolle, Newman said it wasn’t easy because they have developed a bond over the years as friends, but he came out to compete and to win the tournament because he really wants to get back to playing on the Davis Cup team.

In their match, Rolle got the early service break to go up 2-0. But after Newman returned the favour to go up 3-2, he got another break at 6-3 to clinch the first set.

In the second set, Newman got the first break for a 2-0 lead and after that, they both held serve the rest of the match.

Rolle, who advanced with a three-set thriller, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win over Armbrister, said it was just good to be in the final again. “Spencer was a tough opponent. I gave it my best, but he just came out victorious again,” Rolle said. “Spencer is not playing as much, but he’s still in shape and hitting the ball. He’s still in his 20s, but I am pushing 40. I just love the competition and I will continue to play. I will stop when the younger kids could beat me. When the veterans beat me, I could live with that.

“But if I could still beat those guys coming up, why should I stop,” said Rolle.

Plus, he has been travelling as the Davis Cup team captain and so Rolle said he has to come out and put on a good showing against the players whom he has to lead into the international competition.

As for the match against Armbrister, Baker Newman got the first break in the first set for a 2-1 lead. He broke again at 4-1, but they held serve the rest of the set. In the second set, Baker Newman again got the first break for a 1-0 lead and again at 4-1.

Armbrister, however, got back into the match with a break in the next game for a 4-2 deficit. But Newman closed out the match on the final game to secure the two-set sweep.

“It’s always good to finish the tournament with a win. A lot of good players were out here, so we should have a strong team for Davis Cup. Hopefully I’m on it again,” said 26-year-old Baker Newman.

“I played well. I had a little injury in my back. I hurt it from my first match against Rodney Carey Jr, but as a competitor, you just fight through it. That’s why you play the game.”

Baker Newman said he’s just delighted that Spencer Newman, who normally cheers for everyone, was the one everyone was cheering for this year.

And after returning home from Hampton University in Norfolk, Virginia for part of his sophomore year, Armbrister said this was just his first match since COVID-19 changed the landscape of sports worldwide.

He received the men‘s Sportsmanship award of the tournament.

“The first two matches I played, I like how I performed, especially in the semi-final against Marvin and in this match against Baker,” said 20-year-old Armbrister. “I really wished I made it to the final yesterday (in the semis), but overall I am happy just to be here.”

When he returns to Hampton University in January, Armbrister said he’s looking forward to stepping into action as early as February for the start of the Pirates’ spring season as they prepare to participate in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

BLTA president Perry Newton said it was quite an interesting tournament, considering the fact that they didn’t have it last year because of COVID-19.

“Everybody had their expectations. I think some people superseded their expectations,” he said. ”It was good to see some of the younger players come out and participate on the men’s side.

“We did have a few people who missed the tournament, especially on the ladies’ side, which made their pool smaller. We know that (Grand Bahamian) Simone (Pratt) suffered from an injury and Kerrie (Cartwright) had some challenges getting here, but it was a good tournament.”

With the focus now switching to both the Davis Cup and Fed Cup tournaments next year, Newton said the winners and the losers know what they have to work on, if they are successful in making the teams.

He said with the dates not yet confirmed for those prestigious tournaments, it will give the BLTA a chance to analyse the make-up of the team and whether or not they will need another tournament to complete the four-man and woman rosters.

“We’re really excited. We’re excited about the young players who came out,” Newton said.

“It was a really good tournament.”

Stephen Taylor, who served as the tournament director, said except for the rain delay on one day, they didn’t have much problems in the organising of the event.

Taylor said although there were some key players missing, they were able to juggle the line-up to have everybody properly seeded and it worked out with the two seeds on both the men and women sides playing in the final with the top seeds coming out on top.