TOP seed Micheala Stephens will face third-seeded Shea-Ann Kameka in the semi-finals of the women’s singles in the JN Open Tennis Championships which continues today at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston, beginning at 5:00 pm.

Stephens, who is this year’s All-Jamaica women’s singles champion, is yet to lose a tournament, and will be in the hunt for another title.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Kameka will be looking forward to creating an upset over the number one seed, but she knows she has to play extremely well if she hopes to pull off a victory.

Stephens had said before the tournament last week that any player who stands before her has to be at their best.

“They will have to be at their very best to beat me and I am expected to beat all of my opponents,” said Stephens.

The other women’s singles semi-final will be between second seed 27-year-old Pauline Hylton and Emma Dibbs. Both players have never met in a tournament and it should be a close battle for a berth in the final.

In second-round action on Wednesday in the women’s singles, Stephens had cruised past Onika Shaw 6-0, 6-1; Hylton brushed aside Malaika Masson in straight sets 6-1, 6-1; Kameka defeated Hayley McNair in straight sets 6-2, 6-1; while Dibbs crushed unseeded Kailey Chin in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.

At press time last evening, action in the men’s open quarter-finals was in full swing.

In those match-ups, Damion Johnson was down to face Kristopher Martin; Pagon against Alan McNab; third seed Marcus Malcolm vs number eight-seed David Goldsmith; number four Duainnie “Jeremy” Miller vs fifth-seed Jacob Bicknell.

Johnson, top seed in the men’s singles, said before yesterday’s round of matches he was confident of reaching the semi-finals.

“There are a few players who should be in quest for a semi-final place,” he had said.

Second-seed Pagon said things are going well and he expects “tough challenges in the remaining rounds”.

— Gerald Reid