Patterson, Clarke among first winners of GTA Novice Championship

The Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) Novice Championship kicked off on Saturday last at the National Racquet Centre with an exciting line-up of matches that showcased the talent of emerging players.

The week-long tournament featured 15 entrants across three categories- the Ladies’ Beginner Novice, Men’s Beginner Novice and Men’s Intermediate Novice. The format for all categories is one set, with no advantage scoring.

Beginners are those players who are still learning the basics of the game, having difficulty in anticipating where the ball will bounce and maintaining longer rallies.

On the other hand, intermediate novices have developed better court coverage and consistency in medium-paced rallies but may still struggle with adding depth and variety to their game.

In the tournament’s first match, Tisel Patterson staged an impressive comeback to defeat Justine Kennedy 7/5 in the Ladies’ Beginner Novice round-robin action. Serving 2/5 down, Patterson fought off four match points to secure her first victory.

The Men’s Beginner Novice featured a closely contested match between Mark Clarke and Vinish Etwaroo. Clarke won seven of the last eight points to notch the win 7/6 (0).

Akil Gittens also earned an impressive win by edging out Nyjel Sundar 6/4 in the Men’s Intermediate Novice.

The GTA Novice Championships is designed for newcomers to showcase their skills in a competitive and supportive environment. Players can enhance their mental game and gain experience against opponents under pressure.

As interest and participation in tennis continue to grow in Guyana, the GTA Novice Championship provides a dynamic learning environment that is unmatched in traditional practice sessions.

Other match results include:

Ladies’ Beginner Novice

Alicia Greene defeated Christina Basil 6/4.

Justine Kennedy defeated Judy Khayyam 6/1.

Tisel Patterson defeated Alicia Green 6/1.

Men’s Beginner Novice

Osafa Dos Santos defeated Nkofi Hodge 6/2.

Joshua Kennedy defeated Vinish Etwaroo 6/4.

Vinish Etwaroo received a walkover from Torrel Scott.

Joshua Kennedy received a walkover from Torrel Scott.

Men’s Intermediate Novice

Immanuel Barker defeated Robert Edwards 2/2 (ret.).

Matches continue on Monday from 18:00h.