The Saint Lucia junior girls’ tennis team achieved a commendable ninth-place overall finish among 17 competing nations at the World Junior Tennis Girls’ North/Central America & The Caribbean Pre-Qualifying Tournament. The event concluded this Sunday in San Salvador, El Salvador, with the Caribbean nation placing second in Group C standings.
The three-member squad consisting of Kahenya Mukora, Samuella Bertrand, and Merkisha Justin demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the competition. Their campaign began with a 3-0 defeat against Costa Rica on Wednesday’s opening matches. However, the team displayed impressive recovery on Friday with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Jamaica. Justin delivered a dominant performance against Leah Dibbs with a decisive 6-1, 6-0 win. Although Mukora fell to Azariah Daniels 4-6, 4-6, the doubles partnership of Mukora and Justin secured the team victory by overcoming Dibbs and Daniels 6-2, 7-6(7).
During the 6th to 10th placement playoffs on Saturday, Saint Lucia encountered a 2-0 defeat against Panama. In the subsequent 8th/9th position decider, Justin emerged victorious against Bermuda’s Arianna Parra with a hard-earned 2-4, 4-2, 10-2 triumph. Mukora faced defeat against Chloe McBrearty at 1-4, 0-4, while the doubles team of Bertrand and Mukora exhibited strong effort before ultimately falling 4-2, 0-4, 5-10.
Team captain Scyla Murray praised the athletes’ exceptional performance, highlighting Justin’s commanding display that established an early competitive tone. Murray emphasized the team’s collective unity, determination, and fighting spirit throughout the tournament. Despite acknowledging the challenging nature of the competition, the captain expressed profound pride in the players’ development and their representation of Saint Lucia on the international stage.