by SHERRYLYN A. TOPPIN

SIX BARBADIANS are in the main draw of the Under-18 Boys' singles in the FirstCaribbean International Junior Tennis Championships which are scheduled to get under way at the National Tennis Centre this weekend.

Bradley Bryan has the highest International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranking with 708 points and Darian King, who defeated him to win the Coca Cola Tournament in St Lucia also had direct acceptance with 766 points.

Four other Barbadians have gained wild card entries into the draw. They are Devard Wharton (1 140), Christopher King (1 372), Renaldo Gibson (1 626) and Dario Parris who has 1 993 points.

Players in the Boys' Under-18 draw include Britain's Matthew Short with 320 points; American Peter Carpenter with 383 and as low as compatriot Gregory Vladimirsky – excluding the Barbadians – with 785 points.

Six spots

There are also 16 Barbadians among the 80 qualifying vying for the six spots which remain in the main draw. They are Seanon Williams, Christopher Date, Hasani Stewart, Mykel Reifer, André Parris, Carron Beckles, Richard Cole, Jackson Kerr, Mark Hinkson, Jerome Dixon, Kenton Gamble, Liam Rice, Camar Haynes, Michael Armstrong, Yannic Hooper and Rohan Amin.

Barbados' top female juniors Kristen Lopez (1 286) and women's champion Alyssa Fuentes (1 883) are in the main draw as wild card entrants. Nadia Gilchrist of the United States is the highest ranked at 179. There are eight spots open for qualifiers and among the 28 vying for those coveted spots are Barbadians Allison Boyce, Gabriella Lopez, Zahra Stewart, Yurena Polanen, Ashley Frost, Kara Gamble, Josie Watson and Ancia Ifill.

Spots filled

"The 24 spots are filled by ranked players," tournament director Lou Fuentes told SUNSPORT.

"Alyssa and Kristen are in as wild card. We put the best local players in as wild card to protect them, The qualifiers will be held for players who may not have a world ranking or only have a national ranking."

Both the Boys' and Girls' Under-14 draws are full. Among the 19 entrants among the girls are Barbadians Jeniece Ayuen, Coleah Bellamy, national Under-12 champion Samiya Dottin who has the top national ranking, Joelle Hall and former Under-12 champion Melena Lopez. Most of those entrants are from the Caribbean, with three from Suriname. There are 15 Barbadians among the 36 Under-14 boys.