No. 3 Seed Hungry For Title

Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter

No. 3-ranked Oliver Sajous is looking to go all the way and create an upset at the 2012 staging of the NCB Capital Markets Open Tennis Championships being staged at the Liguanea Club.

Sajous moved a step closer to his goal yesterday after outlasting No. 5 seed Joe Cadogan of Trinidad and Tobago 6-3, 7-5 in their quarter-final encounter.

Sajous, who hails from Haiti, was eliminated at the semi-finals stage last year and is therefore looking to better that performance. He will next face either No. 2 seed Darian King of Barbados or No. 7 seed Dominic Pagon of Jamaica. The two were set to meet today at 6:30 p.m.

"I am very hungry for it," Sajous declared. "Last year, I was a little bit disappointed in losing in the semis and this year I am in the semis again, so I want to at least get past the semis and see how it goes."

On the women's side, No. 2 seed Tinesta Rowe progressed to the semi-finals with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Sicquena Sinclair.

Rowe, who is playing in only her second tournament in two years, having played in this same competition last year, has her sights set on upstaging top seed Ffion Fletcher.

"I will keep my fingers crossed, the ball is round, so hopefully, everything works in my favour," Rowe said.

quarter-final encounter

In yesterday's other singles encounter, top men's seed, Tim Smyczek of the US defeated No. 8 seed Brandon Burke 6-1, 6-3 and Fletcher got by Monique Hanson 6-3, 6-3 in their women's quarter-final encounter.

Today's action will see defending champion and fourth seed, Hayden Lewis, tackle Jamaica's top player, Damion Johnson, who is seeded at No. 6 in the first men's quarter-final match at 5 p.m. The two met at the same stage last year.

The other 5 p.m. match will see Fletcher battle fourth seed Khalilah Johnson in the first women's semi-final encounter.

ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com