Kwesi Mugisa, Staff ReporterFLORIDA-BASED Jamaican Simone Vranov-Brown blasted her way into the quarter-finals of the ITF Jamaica Junior Championships following a straight set win over Zimbabwe's Denise Atzinger at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre yesterday.
Vranov-Brown, now the only Jamaican left in the draw, battled hard in the first set for a 7-5 lead but had a much easier time in the second, storming past her opponent 6-0. The young Jamaican, unseeded in the tournament, will face a much tougher test today when she faces the number two seed, Danielle Mills of the United States (U.S). In her third-round game, Mills easily defeated Sasha Rocco of Venezuela 6-0, 6-2. Meanwhile, local Shaneka Knight saw her campaign come to a screeching halt after an emphatic 6-0, 6-1 loss to Ann Mulholland of the U.S.
Top seeded Francesca Segarelli of the Dominican Republic easily progressed to the next round with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Venzuela's Isabella Fernandez and fifth seed Hannah Berner of the U.S. beat Mexico's Thais Romero 6-1, 6-1.
In other games, Canada's Sara Lazarevic swept by the U.S.'s Sasha Gluck 6-2, 6-3, while Jessica Pegula, also of the U.S., upset compatriot Alexa Wimes 6-2, 6-0.
In the men's draw, Christopher Lawson, Jamaica's last remaining entrant, fought valiantly against number-five seed Nicholas Bacchus of the U.S. but went down 6-4, 6-3.
In other games, number-one seed Alex Llompart of Puerto Rico found Ecuadorian Diego Acosta more than up to the challenge, but advanced with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory.
Venezuela's David Souto also booked his place in the next round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Adam Parker of the U.S., while Britain's Michael Davis defeated Devard Wharton of Barbados 6-3, 6-3.
Juan Quiroz of Venezuela stopped Barbados's Darian King 6-3, 6-1 and number-four seed Jason Zafiros of the U.S. got by compatriot Joel Samaha 6-3, 6-2.
