Carrington gets top women’s billing at tennis ‘Nationals’

ELLA Carrington will be the top women’s seed when the National Tennis Championship serves off at the National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua.

The tournament returns tomorrow after a four-year absence, with first-time sponsor Massy Motors, and action will take place on a daily basis until next Sunday at National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua.

Jordane Dookie is the No. 2 seed in the women’s singles draw, despite winning the title in the last four senior tournaments she has contested.

The 17-year-old was the top seed when she convincingly retained the title in the Tranquillity Open in March.

Dookie was unable to attempt a hat-trick in the East Classified Tournament in May because of examinations, and Carrington went on to capture the title.

It was the first senior singles title for the left-hander.

After brushing aside Cameron Wong for her first senior title in the East Classified in May 2022, Dookie has beaten Carrington in straight sets in her other three finals, with her most convincing triumph being a 6-2, 6-0 win in their last meeting at the Tranquillity Open in March.

On the men’s side, Nabeel Mohammed, the no. 10 seed in this tournament, has won the last two editions of the Nationals, but has the toughest draw in the field.

Fellow two-time champ Wilson, the fourth seed, lurks in the third round, and then the 25-year-old could face Kale Dalla Costa in the quarter-finals, and 2017 champ Joseph Cadogan, who has won the last two editions of the Tranquil Open, just to get to the final. Cadogan is the top seed.

Akiel Duke is the clear favourite to make it to the title match from the much friendlier bottom half of the 64-draw.

The women’s draw is a quarter of the size of the men’s, and Carrington is expected to be seriously challenged by third-seeded Lee Anne Lingo in the semi-finals.

Dookie’s half includes Wong and fourth-seeded Charlotte Ready, but her toughest opponent could be her first —in the quarter-finals— as United States university student Aalisha Alexis, who reached the final when this tournament was last contested in 2019, was not seeded.