ROWLAND “Randy” Phillips and Selena Bird captured the men’s and women’s singles titles, respectively, at the 2019 Touch Tuina/Couples Swept Away Resort Open Tennis Championships held last Saurday to Monday at the Swept Away Resort in Negril.

Phillips, who was the defending men’s singles Open champion last year, was winning the title for a third time with his first being in 2015. For his title-winning exploits, he brushed aside unseeded Jermaine Meikle in the final in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 for the cash award of $200,000 and the championship trophy.

Meikle, for his runner-up finish, walked away with $100,000 and a trophy. Phillips did not drop a set throughout the tournament, defeating fifth-seed David Goldsmiith 6-0, 6-0 in the second round. He then beat unseeded Matthew Rodriquez, who retired after being down 6-0, 2-0.

In the semi-finals, Phillips had to dig deep in the second set before knocking out fourth-seeded Macoy Malcolm in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2 in the time breaker set).

Meikle, who surprisingly reached the final, crushed unseeded Shaan Daswani 6-0, 6-0 in his first-round match, then came from a set down before winning 4-6, 6-2 and 10-3 in the super tie breaker set in his second-round match against Andre Burrell .

He then pulled off a major upset by defeating second seed Marcus Malcolm 7-6 (7-4 in tie breaker set), 3-6 before clinching the match 2-1, winning the super tiebreaker set 10-7.

Meanwhile, third-seed Bird pulled off a major upset in the women’s singles final when she defeated top-seed Pauline Hylton in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to capture the main draw championship trophy.

This was also the first time Bird has won the title. In the semi-finals, Bird had defeated second-seed and last year’s defending champion Michaela Stephens in three sets, having to come from a set down to clinch the match 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Hylton came from a set down to win 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 against fourth-seed Shae-Ann Kameka to reach the final. Meanwhile, top-seed Dwayne Pagon captured the Men’s Professional 35 and over singles title by defeating second- seed David Goldsmith in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.

Pagon, for his efforts, collected $90,000 and a trophy with Goldsmith getting $45,000 as the losing finalist. In the semi-finals of the Men’s Pro 35 and over, Pagon eased past Garnett James in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Goldsmith defeated third-seed Yussuf Migoko in straight sets 6-1, 7-6.

The Men’s Amateur 35 and over title was won by top-seed Richard Deenah, who defeated second-seed Adrian Armstrong in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 in the final.

In the semi-finals, Deenah beat fourth-seed Garth Darby 7-5, 6-0, while Armstrong defeated fifth-seed Ian Murray in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. In the Men’s Open singles players reaching the semi-finals collected $43,750 each, quarter-finalists $21,675, and players reaching the round-of- 16 took home $10,937.50.

The other cash awards in the Men’s Pro 35, the two losing semi-finalists received $22,500 each, and quarter-finalists picked up $11,250 each. – Gerald Reid