THE RAIN FELL just as Barbados’ last hopes did likewise.
Cherise Slocombe and Kiana Marshall’s impressive tournament run is no more, after the dynamic duo dropped a heart-breaking super tiebreak to barely miss out on making the final of the ITF Junior Tournament Girls’ 18s doubles at the National Tennis Centre.
Battling intermittent showers, and the highly-rated pair of Australian Gabriella De Silva Fick and Katelyn Jackson of the US, the hometown girls lost a gripping 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 semi-final contest on stadium court yesterday.
It was the cruel end to the country’s only surviving hopes after every other local prospect crashed out of the main draws on the previous day.
The match was also the second time in as many days that the two went into a super tiebreak following Wednesday’s epic three-set thriller over Americans Sabrina Faybyshev and Caroline Turner.
But luck wouldn’t repeat itself, even if the number of sets did, as Marshall and Slocombe lost the last four points after battling back to level a rain-soaked super tiebreak at 6-6.
That proved a far cry from the match’s early exchanges where nothing separated the pairs while they evenly split the first six games.
The Bajans actually had a chance to strike first though, as Jackson faced a break point after double-faulting by lacing De Silva Fick with a serve in her back.
However, they were easily let off the hook, with Marshall inexplicably dumping a pair of forehands in the net.
The weather then really rained on Barbados’ parade, as Marshall lost focus following a subsequent 23-minute rain delay and served up two double faults en route to dropping her serve for a 3-5 deficit.
De Silva Fick then easily closed out the set before the visitors almost broke Marshall when she fell behind 0-30 on her serve in the second set.
But she set up Slocombe for easy winners at the net to hold, and then Slocombe returned with more deft volleys to break De Silva Fick at love to help build a 4-1 advantage.
Slocombe eventually served out the set with the Bajans leading 5-3, teeing off with some huge deliveries which led to comfortable smashes for Marshall.
The rains came back, though, only for good this time, and the hometown girls just never seemed to adjust to the persistent drizzles after battling back to 6-6.
Slocombe mishit a forehand long before Marshall double-faulted to set up a match point that De Silva Fick and Jackson wasted no time in winning.
The two advanced to play Americans Delaney Edwards and Alexandra Sabe in this morning’s final.
Jackson’s day wasn’t all great though, as she lost to Faybyshev 6-2, 6-3 in a singles semi-final, while Faybyshev’s partner, Turner, booked her spot in the final with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Sabe.
Bahamian Rasheed Carey moved on to the boys’ final after beating Jake Gaby of the US 6-4, 6-1, and he is slated to face American Emmanuel Llamas, who outlasted William Tutecky of Canada 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
