Tennis: Franky Jean Construction Junior Tournament-Young champions join tournament’s hall of fame |09 May 2005

A week before school resumes, young champions took the spotlight on the Roche Caïman courts for the whole of last week and on Saturday morning (May 7), the male and female age category champions prevailed in hot conditions to join the competition’s hall of fame.

Angelique Bibi won the girls’ under 8 years old category gold medal with a 6-2 victory over Magdalena Kment Flynn.

The only Praslinois in the final, Bibi, watched in action by her mum and dad, failed in her quest to go home with a double, losing the girls’ under 10 final 1-6 to Christy Delpeche.

Bibi, 8, from Baie Ste Anne Praslin, told Sports Nation that she was “happy to win but unhappy not to get a second title. I’ll train harder and come back stronger.”

The boys’ under 8 title went to Yann Mancienne with an easy 6-1 defeat of Erwan Kervegant.

Kevin Romain, the younger brother of Stephan Romain, was luckier than Dominique D’Offay to win the boys’ under 10 final on a close 6-5 score.

In the girls’ under 12 final, Nathanielle Morel led 5-2 against Raghavi Naidoo but lost concentration allowing the latter to close to within one game 6-5 before regaining her composure to win 9-6.

“The final was rather tough with Raghavi playing well. But I won and I’m happy,” said Morel, 12, who has been playing tennis for three years.

Hampered by a sore right elbow, Eric Bervas did not let the pain take control of his game to beat Elio Anglesy 9-7 in the boys’ under 12 final and he described his victory as “not entertaining but I did what needed to be done.”

Chloé Romain was too strong for Vanessa Low-Hong in the girls’ under 15 final, winning 9-1.
With five years experience in the sport, Sherrifa Joubert made sure Vanessa Low-Hong went home with two silver medals, easily beating her 2-0 (6-1 6-2) in the girls’ under 18 final.

Up-and-coming Stephan Romain, 14, powered past Jannick Julie in the boys’ under 15 final for a 9-4 win, but he could not do the same against Markhous Kanté in the best-of-three boys’ under 18 final.

Although he strolled to victory on a 2-0 (6-3 6-1) score, Kanté said that the “final wasn’t easy, but I banked on my experience to beat Stephan. I’m very happy with my play in the championship.”

As for Stephan Romain, he said that his under 15 final was “easy and that Julie was no match for me.”

It is to note that apart from players from Mahe, five participants from Praslin (one girl and four boys) and eight from La Digue (four boys and four girls) participated in the five-day tournament described by the organisers as of a very good level.

Alain Jean of Franky Jean Construction Junior Tournament presented the prizes to the winners and runners-up while Anabelle Constance and Davis André won a special prize each.

G. G.