Blackwood takes Under-14 title

Ilana Blackwood took the girls’ 14 and under title with an upset 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory, after battling No. 1 seed Symphony Griffith for 95 exciting minutes in the BNB Competition at the Ocean View Tennis Court yesterday.
In a clash where Griffith’s short, compact physique contrasted with Blackwood’s long, slender structure, there was no difference in play with the budding stars matching each other in serves, forearm and back-hand shots as well as their impressive movement on court.
After Griffith took the first set, Blackwood stormed back to take the second and set up the decider.  However, after a very close battle in the early stages of that key set, the long rallies frustrated Griffith, but Blackwood maintained her composure to squeeze out the victory.
In another upset, the girls’ 16 and under No. 1 seed Kayla Frost was ousted in the semis by Melena Lopez 3-6, 0-6.  Lopez’s opponent in the finals will be Julia Herlogsson who is ranked eighth in her age group in Sweden.
Earlier, Jordan Every took the boys’ 12 and under finals by beating Christopher Phillips 6-0. Phillips seemed bothered after he was struck in his face at 0-3. Jordan then teamed up with Kyle Frost to win the doubles, beating Alex Griffith and Aren Spencer 8-1.
The boys’ 16 and under doubles pair of Jared Spencer and Matthew Estwick won the semi-finals clash against No. 2 seeds Simon Lewis and Ajani King 6-4, 6-3. King teamed up with Spencer in the Under-14 division beating Yannick Polanen and Gabriel Taylor 5-3, 5-4.
In the singles semi-finals of the 16 and under division, No. 1 seed Brandon Lee came from a set down to stop Liam Luke 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.  In a 14 and under semi, No. 2 Andrew Symmonds crushed Xavier Lawrence, 6-0, 6-1.
In the men’s 35s  No. 1 seed John Chandler stopped Ryan Forde 6-2, 6-1. (KB)