Smith set to lift AJ crown

By Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport

Smith

JERMAINE SMITH is a near unbackable favourite to claim his fifth straight national tennis title when the Cable and Wireless All-Jamaica Championships swing into action at the Liguanea Club courts, New Kingston today.

The island's No. 1 player seems to peak each year for the championships and it will take something special to deny him the crown again, according to national coach Douglas Burke.

"Jermaine always plays well here," Burke said yesterday. "He's always very confident at the All Jamaica. If he's playing well and keeps his game tight he should win."

Helping Smith's cause is the absence of a number of the island's top players due to a variety of reasons. Last year's runnerup, Scott Willinsky, is training in Europe, Peter Gordon and Jessie Smatt have collegiate commitments in the United States and Ryan Russell is still recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident in July.

That leaves youngsters Damar Johnson and Kevron Bennett, many-time champion Nicholas Malcolm and US-based Max Brown as Smith's greatest threats.

The women's section is also without a number of Jamaica's leading players including Alaina Broderick and Kadija Richards and looms as a showdown between former champion Tamara Davis and the rapidly improving Tinesta Rowe.

"It's a little disappointing that some of the top players can't make it," Burke said.

"However, it's important to have a good relationship with them and they come when they are called upon for Davis Cup and things like that.

"With their study and commitments it would hurt them more to come here. Some of them will finish their schooling next year and then we expect them to be at the championships," he said.

Action starts today at 4:00 p.m. and continues through to the finals on Sunday.

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