SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Having watched his close friend and teammate Blaise Bicknell capture Jamaica’s first-ever medal in tennis at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games on Tuesday, John Chin says he is inspired by his compatriot.

The 21-year-old Bicknell, who is Jamaica’s number one tennis player, defeated Mexico’s Alan Rubio 6-1, 6-7, and 10-8 in the final set tie-breaker to win bronze, a historic medal for Jamaica in tennis at a senior championships.

Chin, who has had a very tough time at the championships, lost in the first round of the singles competition after he was beaten by El Salvador’s Cesar Cruz 2-6, 2-6.

He and Bicknell lost in the quarter-finals of the double championships to Colombia.

Chin told the Jamaica Observer that Bicknell’s achievement is not only for him, but also other Jamaican tennis players. He said he plans to train a lot harder to raise the level of his game.

“This will inspire me a lot, because I know that it is possible for a Jamaican to do it and especially for Blaise to do it, this is a great accomplishment,” said Chin.

“We train together a lot because we are good friends, so I know that if he can do it, a lot more others can do it, like myself,” he said. I feel like I play tennis at a high level, and I can beat anybody here, but I know that going forward I have to put in more hours and I have to play more matches,” Chin said.

The 19-year-old Chin, who is the country’s number three-rated player, is currently ranked 1,649 in the world. He is based at Boise State University in the United States, where he is currently studying international business.

Chin explained that his preparations going into this tournament was severely hampered due to a medical issue that he had to endure, but he has now fully got over it and he is looking forward to producing some creative tennis for the remainder of the season.

“I just have developed a little bit more weapons, I have to be a lot more consistent and hit my shots heavier,” he said.

“Going forward, you can expect a lot from me because I have a very high ceiling,” Chin noted. “I think I can achieve a lot in this game and you can look out for me in the NCAA season next year, and you can also look for me in the pros events and also the Pan Am Games later this year,” he said.

Chin and Bicknell are expected to form part of Jamaica’s team which will play off against host Lebanon in their Davis Cup group tie in September this year.