GTA “One Guyana” Open tennis tournament 2023: Resurgent Downes tops 2022 Year-End Champion Anderson
Anthony Downes and Donny Anderson shook hands after the encounter
Competing in his first tournament in four years, former Men’s Tennis Champion Anthony Downes defeated the #1 seed and 2022 Year-End Champion Donnie Anderson 6/0, 6/2 in just over an hour.
It was Downes’s first competitive match since being dethroned at the GBTI Open in 2019, but he showed no sign of rustiness in the lone completed match on day one of the GTA “One Guyana” Open tennis tournament.
“It feels amazing,” Downes said in a brief post-match interview. “I was kinda surprised with myself. I didn’t expect to play so well [because] it has been [four] years.”
Main-draw matches continued on Saturday, July 1, from 12:00 hrs at the National Racquet Centre.
A look at the action in the GTA “One Guyana” Open tennis tournament
During the ceremony to officially open this tournament, Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle thanked the GTA for its commitment to improving the level of tennis in Guyana, and encouraged all players to be respectful and show good sportsmanship.
“It’s not only about winning, but how you win also,” he said.
The GTA “One Guyana” Open makes history in local tennis because of the record-breaking prize money on offer. This tournament is a collaborative effort between the GTA; the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; the National Sports Commission (NSC), and by extension the Government of Guyana.
