Improved Azar looks to hit top form at ITF tourney
Published:Tuesday | April 25, 2023 | 1:05 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Daniel Azar, Jamaica’s number-one seed at the ITF 18-and-under Junior tournament, will bow into action today against American Eaden-Zack Harron on the second day of the event at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre.
Azar, who attends the prestigious Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Tampa, noted that his game has improved a lot since he last competed for Jamaica during the Davis Cup at home in February, and he is confident that he can challenge for top honours.
“I have been working hard, and training has been good, and I am confident. The competition will be tough. It is not going to be easy, but my intention is to play my best tennis, and hopefully, I can do that.
“I have continued to train and work hard (since Davis Cup), and my game has improved, and that is always my main aim, to improve every day. And I would say I feel improved since then, and I am ready for the tournament,” he told The Gleaner.
Azar knows little about his American opponent and his intention is to get a feel of what he is all about first before going to work for the victory.
“Right now, I just know his name but nothing much. Once I start playing tomorrow (today), I will see how he plays and know how I will play and how to beat him,” the 18- year-old said.
Other Jamaican males in action today include Jamar Parkinson who plays Canada’s Antoine Genereux; Kahj Clarke, who opposes third seed Jovan Lubbe of South Africa; Jardain Gibbs, who takes on Arnav Bhandari of the United States; Kyle Clarke, who faces Jules Alias of France; Kyle Forrester vs Itsuki Umezawa of Japan; and Kosei Gibbs, who meets Arnenta Suarez of Mexico.
On the female side, Kyra Terman plays Gianna Graci of USA; Courtney Chin goes up against Maripaz Aguero of Costa Rica; and Xenya Miller-Brown opposes Kyra Daswani of the United States.
Azar believes Jamaica has some very strong representatives and he anticipates that a few of them will meet up further on in the tournament.
“Jamaica has some very good players, and we know each other very well and how we play. I would not be surprised if I had to play one of them later on in the tournament, but right now I am just focused on myself.
“If I do very well in this tournament, it will help my ranking with the points that I will get,” he commented.
The ITF will be staging two back-to-back 18-and-under Junior events at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre between April 24 and May 7.
The events will feature a number of Jamaicans matching skills with top juniors from across the globe, including players from Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States.
Apart from tournament honours, participants will compete for valuable world junior ranking points
Tennis Jamaica president and tournament director, John Azar, said these tournaments are important for the development of local players.
“It allows our local juniors to compete for world ranking points. Events like these provide an excellent opportunity for Jamaicans and invaluable exposure for our future stars, reinforcing the levels of commitment and dedication required to succeed on the international stage,” he said.
All matches will be played at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre, 2A Piccadilly Road, and action begins at 10 a.m. each day.