TODAY’S semi-finals in both the men’s and women’s singles competition promises to be an interesting battle as players go in search of a place in tomorrow’s final of the 2010 Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre Open Tennis Championships at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston.

The women’s semi-finals will see an all-Jamaica affair between second-seeded Ffion Fletcher from Montego Bay against Michaelann Denton, while the other semis will see top-seeded Jamaican-born Simone Brown from Miami going up against third seed Phadria Kepple.

On Thursday evening, Kepple easily defeated her Jamaican compatriot Franchesca Chin in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1 in her quarter-final-round encounter, while Fletcher gained a walk over as second-seeded Megan Jones — a Jamaican-born living in the United States — failed to show for her match against the Jamaican.

It will be very interesting as both Brown and Fletcher will play their first match in the championships, and it will be known whether they are match fit. Brown was the beaten finalist last year.

Nothing much, however, can be said of Brown as she is also a very fit and fast-moving player who has strong serves and strong returns that could see her coming out an easy winner.

Kepple, a former Wolmer’s student on the other hand, will come up against the more experienced 18-year-old Brown, and whether she can sustain, the strong power playing of her opponents shots will be left to be seen.

Dwayne Pagon said he is ready to play the winner of last night’s quarter-final, but if it goes true to form he should play top-seed Oliver Sajour of Haiti in the semi-final.

“I will be going out there to fight and it is going to be a very competitive match. Anything is possible and can happen in tennis, so I won’t be making it any easy pickings for him,” Pagon said.

Pagon said that Sajour is a very good player and his ground strollers are good and solid and he has great respect for him as both have played each other many times.

Vaughn Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago, who is waiting on his semi-final opponent, said so far his matches played were easy, but expects much tougher competition in the semis.

“My game is presently very solid and I am confident that I will make it to the final. I will be watching the quarter-final between Dominic Pagon and Damion Johnson before deciding on my strategy,” said the 20-year-old Wilson, who has played in the ITF Junior Tournament and won the Boys 18 and under doubles in 2010.

Pagon advanced to today’s semi-finals with a 7-6 (10-8 tie-breaker), 6-0 victory over Daniele Harris of Jamaica, while Wilson brushed aside Christian Battaglia of Jamaica in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.

The first set of semi-finals will be played for men’s and women’s at 5:00 and the second semi-finals for men’s and women’s will be at 6:30 pm.