Intense rivalry predicted in 2-week showdown

GLTA/GBTI Tennis Open

The sixth edition of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Tennis Open promises to be another spectacular competition, where top and emerging tennis players will showcase their skills.
This year, the two-week tournament, which serves off on Saturday, June 2, will feature 13 categories, with the junior male division predicted to be the most competitive with players like reigning champion Heimraj Resaul, Jordan Beaton, Mark McDonald and Joshua Kalekyezi, all vying for the summit in this event.
Who will emerge victorious in the respective categories will be decided on the court, but there are some key names who will be competing for top honours in this year’s tournament.
Last year, the hysteria surrounded the ladies’ category which saw archrivals Afruica Gentle and Nicola Ramdyhan going head to head in the final that ended in favour of the former. This time around, that will not be the case in that group, which lost most of its hype owing to the absence of Ramdyhan, who is currently overseas enhancing her skills.
Gentle, who recently won the Girls’ Under-18 Sheltez/Homesafe Security Independence Cup, is touted as the favourite to retain the title in the ladies’ phase of the GBTI Tournament. But if she is as faulty as she was in her most recent match against one of her main rivals, Kalyca Fraser, she could end up surrendering the title to prospects like Aretta Dey or Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan or Cristy Campbell.
Unlike Gentle, Fraser is forecast to have very difficult times on the court against opponents like Sarah Klautky and Ciara Pooran. However, if Gentle disregards her eligibility to play in the junior girls’ category, Fraser will enter as favourite.
The men’s open category reigning champion, Anthony Downes, will have an additional hurdle to surpass if he is to maintain supremacy in this event. This segment will benefit from a coinciding visit from top player Daniel Lopes, who is also attending college in Florida. Jason Andrews and Ronald Murray are also key contenders in this department. The two-week tournament, which is organised by the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GTA) will see the Men’s Open Singles and Doubles, Ladies’ Open Singles and Doubles, Men’s Over-35 Singles and Doubles, Men’s Over-45 Singles and Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Junior Boys’ Open Singles, Junior Girls’ Open Singles and Novice Medley Singles and Doubles.
Full results for the categories in the GLTA/GBTI Tennis Open 2016: Girls’ Open Singles winner Kalyca Fraser and runner-up Shivani Persaud; Boys’ Open Singles winner Heimraj Resaul and runner-up Keenan Persaud; Men’s Open Singles winner Anthony Downes and runner-up Daniel Lopes; Ladies’ Open Singles winner Afruica Gentle and runner-up Nicola Ramdyhan; Men’s Open Doubles winners Anthony Downes/Harry Panday and runner-ups Nicolas Fenty/Leyland Leacock; Ladies’ Open Doubles winner Cristy Campbell/Afruica Gentle and runner-ups Aretta Dey/Nicola Ramdyhan; Mixed Open Doubles winners Anthony Downes/Afruica Gentle and runner-ups Aretta Dey/Daniel Lopes; Men’s 35 and Over winner Leyland Leacock and runner-up Godfrey Lowden; Men’s 45 and Over winner Godfrey Lowden and runner-up Harry Panday; Novice Singles winner Asif Subhan and runner-up Devon Gonsalves; Novice Medley Doubles winners Patricia Hope/Martin Campbell and runner-ups Asif Subhan/Devon Gonsalves.