King, Carter reign at national trials

TEENAGERS Anya King and Aidan Carter earned their deserved spots in the national team for the upcoming Fed Cup and Davis Cup yesterday after they played unbeaten to finish atop their respective groups at the trials events at the National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua.

The men’s competition began, on Thursday, with Carter and Tobago’s Akiel Duke winning all their first and second round round-robin matches over the first three days, a series of results which set up a virtual final between the two in yesterday’s morning session.

Carter and Duke opened the day’s proceedings yesterday, with the 16-year-old sensation coming away a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 winner.

It was Carter’s second competitive win against Duke this year. In March, he defeated Duke 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim the men’s singles title, at the Tranquillity Open. Following yesterday’s early morning win, Carter put the icing on the cake with a second victory over Richard Chung. Chung pulled up retired while trailing 7-5, 3-1.

It followed a number of impressive wins for Carter, who won his two first round matches, on Friday, against Keshan Moonasar (6-3, 6-3) and Adam Ramkissoon (6-3, 6-4). He went on to beat Nkrumah Patrick (6-1, 6-3) and Scott Hackshaw (6-3, 6-2) on Friday, before facing his toughest challenges in Nabeel Mohammed and Dexter Mahase on Saturday. He defeated Mohammed and Mahase 6-4, 6-4 and 7-5, 6-2, respectively.

Despite his losing in yesterday’s morning session, Duke, responded positively to seal a 6-2, 6-1 win over Mahase in the two players’ final match. Duke, for his efforts, likely secured his place in the TT team for the Davis Cup.

According to the Tennis Association of TT, the top three players in the round-robin will be provisionally selected, along with two reserves. At the end of the competition, Carter and Duke took first and second place, while Mohammed sealed third with a walkover victory over Adam Ramkissoon. Mohammed and Chung have, therefore, qualified for selection as the team’s reserves for the Davis Cup.

In the women’s Fed Cup trials, Anya King capped off an outstanding tournament by handing US-based Soizette Simmons a 6-1, 6-4 defeat. King ended her account on top the round-robin with four wins from as many matches against Simmons, Yin Lee Assang, Abigail Jones and Victoria Koylass.

Simmons, who lost just once, placed second, while Lee Assang, Koylass and Jones, ended in the third to fifth places.

Assang clinched third spot yesterday with a win over Jones who also pulled up retired. She was trailing 6-3, 1-1. King is expected to represent TT in the Fed Cup, along with TT’s top players, Breana Stampfli and Yolande Leacock, who secured their places without competing at the trials. Simmons will likely be the team’s reserve player.

Yesterday’s Results

Davis Cup trials

Aidan Carter def Akiel Duke 7-5, 2-6, 6-3

Richard Chung def Dexter Mahase 6-3, 3-6, 6-2

Nabeel Mohammed def Adam Ramkissoon, w/o

Fed Cup trials

Yin Lee Assang def Abigail Jones 6-3, 1-1 (retired)

Anya King def Soizette Simmons 6-1, 6-4

Standings

Davis Cup trials

1st- Aidan Carter

2nd- Akiel Duke

3rd- Nabeel Mohammed

4th- Richard Chung

5th- Dexter Mahase

6th- Nkrumah Patrick

7th- Adam Ramkissoon

8th- Scott Hackshaw

Fed Cup trials

1st- Anya King

2nd- Soizette Simmons

3rd- Yin Lee Assang

4th- Victoria Koylass

5th- Abigail Jones