DARIAN KING isn’t having the best of tune-ups ahead of next month’s French Open.Barbados’ top junior tennis player registered his second successive first-round exit at the hands of Dimitri Bretting after the Swiss teen knocked him out of the 31st International Spring Bowl’s opening round in Austria.Despite being ranked 61 spots below world No. 54 King, Bretting cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 win over the tournament’s second seed before succumbing to Belgium’s Jonas Merckx in the Round of 16.It was the second straight time that the 18-year-old fell to his Swiss counterpart, who also upset the local prodigy in straight sets (7-6, 6-2) in the La Vie Sport Junior Cup’s first round, also in Austria.Once ranked as high as 47th in the world, King is slated to compete in the junior draw of the French Open, tennis’ second Grand Slam of the year, which serves off next Sunday.King still has one more tune-up before playing Roland Garros later this month at the 46th Astrid Bowl Charleroi in Belgium. (JM)
