Jamaican top seeds Damani Cain and Michaela Stephens have advanced to the boys’ and girls’ singles semi-finals of the 2018 Touch Tuina Blue Mountain Caribbean Junior Tennis Championships at the end of day one at the Liguanea Club, yesterday.

The semi-finals are scheduled for today starting at 9:00 am. Cain will face Guyana’s Jordan Beaton, who upset third seed Cole McNair of Jamaica in straight sets 6-1, 7-5 in quarter-final action. Cain had easily defeated Richard Barnett 6-0, 6-3 in his match.

Romeo Edwards of Jamaica, the second seed in the 18 and under boys’ singles, defeated Joshua Kalekyezi of Guyana in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Edwards will go up against unseeded Heimraj Resaul of Guyana, who knocked out fourth-seeded Mario Campbell of Jamaica 3-6, 6-3, 10-2 in the super tie-breaker set.

Meanwhile, in the 18 and under girls’ singles semi-finals, top seed Michaela Stephens of Jamaica will face unseeded Afruica Gentle of Guyana. Stephens lost to Gentle in the semi-finals of the Quest Tennis Series last weekend at the same venue.

The 15-year-old Jamaican reached the semis by eliminating unseeded Kalyca Fraser from Guyana in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, while Gentle gained a walk over from Jamaica’s Hayley McNair, who failed to show for her match.

Jamaica’s Jenna Harrison, the second seed in the 18 and under girls’ singles, will meet her compatriot Kobi Wilcott in the semi-finals today. Harrison crushed Alana Chung of Guyana in straight sets 6-0, 6-0, while Wilcott knocked out fourth seed Kailey Chin of Jamaica in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

The Jamaicans are through to majority of the semi-final matches that are scheduled to be played today — the 18 and under boys’ and girls’ singles, 16 and under boys’ and girls’ singles, 14 and under and the 12 and under boys’ and girls’ singles.

Cain and Stephens, who are also the top seeds in the boys’ and girls’ 16 and under singles, will be in action. Cain meets Blake Shoucair of Jamaica, while second seed Keyondre Clarke of Jamaica go up against Jason Duval of Jamaica in semi-final action. Stephens will play Kalyca Fraser of Guyana in the 16 and under girls’ semi-finals.

Jamaica’s Daniel Azar, the top seed in the boys’ 14 and under singles, will take on fourth seed Vadeanand Resaul of Guyana, while second seed Jason Duval of Jamaica will meet third seed Keyondre Clarke of Jamaica in semi-finals matches.

Following today’s semi-final round of matches, the team events will begin immediately. Jamaica are the defending champions for the boys’ team event.