THE country’s best young tennis players will be on display over four days of competition at the 2010 Burger King Interscholastic Singles Tennis Championships from Thursday, April 29 to Sunday, May 2 at three venues.

The tournament, which attracts schools from across Jamaica, will be played at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre, Senior Common Room of the University of the West Indies (UWI), and Wolmer’s Girls School because of the exceptional number of entries expected, tournament referee Jordache Deuce said.

Burger King has again sponsored the event to the tune of $700, 000 that is equal to the amount of last year’s funding, though Tennis Jamaica’s Christine Gore said an equivalent sponsorship in these tough economic times was a good thing.

Competition will be divided into Boys and Girls 18, 16, 14, 12, and 10, while Deuce said specific emphasis would be placed on the two youngest categories because it provided the greatest potential for the development of players.

The matches will be played in a best-of-three sets format, while the 14 and 12 sections will play short sets in keeping with International Tennis Federation (ITF) standards, and 10s will play eight game pro-sets.

Among the expected 150 students participating is defending girls 16 champion Shellita Haughton, who told the Observer she was looking forward to a tough competition this year, “because there are good players there”, the 14-year-old said.

Girls and Boys 18 champions Siquena Sinclair and Camarsh Crumbie will also be back to defend their titles.

Wolmer’s Boys’ and Girls’, Hillel Academy, Campion College, Jamaica College, Kingston College, Norman Manley, Immaculate Conception, Ardenne, Irwin, Cornwall College, Hopewell High, and Ocho Rios are among the participating schools.

Burger King’s marketing manager Diana Blake-Bennett (left) presents her company’s sponsorship cheque to Tennis Jamaica treasurer Charles Pennycooke (right) while coach Lockett McGregor and national tennis director Douglas Burke look on in Kingston yesterday. (Photo: Colin Reid)