Best of local talent on display for JN Bank Open Tennis Tournament
Approximately 60 top tennis players are slated to participate in the 12th staging of the JN Bank Open Tennis Tournament, scheduled to take place from this Saturday through to next week Saturday.
The best of Jamaican tennis talent will be on display during the week-long championship, which will be held at Liguanea Club in New Kingston.
The categories in the contest include: Men’s and Women’ singles, Men’s Class Two and Three, Women’s Class B and Amateur. Rowland “Randy” Phillips and Pauline Hylton are the defending champions for the Men’s and Women’s categories, respectively.
Prize money totalling $750,000 will be awarded, with the men’s singles winner walking away with the top cash prize of $200,000 along with the champions trophy; and the runner-up will take away $100,000.
The semi-finalists in the Men’s singles will each collect $50,000, with the quarter-finalists receiving $25,000 each; and competitors in the Round of 16 will be granted $12,500 each.
In the Women’s Open, the victor will collect $70,000 and a trophy; the runner-up $35,000; and the two semi-finalists each will receive $17,500.
Llockett McGregor, tournament director, said the event continues to attract several of the country’s top professional and amateur tennis players.
McGregor pointed out that the JN Bank Open Tennis Championships started in 2001 as a junior competition and has evolved to the level where it has become one of the biggest competitions on the tennis calendar for this year.
Ricardo Dystant, chief of channels at JN Bank, noted that The Jamaica National Group is passionate about the development of Jamaica and sports.
“Tennis Jamaica is also passionate about honing and recognising the talents of our young tennis sportsmen and women and, by doing so, further encourages the growth of the sport in Jamaica,” he said.
Tennis Jamaica is the governing body of tennis in Jamaica and the JN Bank Open Tennis Championships is sanctioned by the organisation; hence, players will receive national ranking points at the senior level from their performance in this stellar event.
