Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Jahbair Mullings has a knock with defending champion Christopher Lawson (not seen) at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre yesterday. Mullings, 16, is preparing to contest the Pan Caribbean Junior Championships for a third consecutive year. - Photo by Kyle Macpherson

SEVERAL OF Jamaica's top juniors are expected to be on hand when the Pan Caribbean All-Jamaica Junior Tennis Championships serves off in a little under a week's time.

Junior Davis Cup and Federation Cup standouts, Brandon Burke and Simone and Lauren Vranov-Brown, will be among those expected to lead the field, but many of the local-based juniors will also be fancying their chances to make an impression.

Simone Vranov-Brown is heavily favoured to defend the title in the girls' Under-18 category, but the title of boys' 18 champion will be a vacant position as last year's champion, Christopher Lawson, is no longer a junior.

On recent form, Burke should be favoured to capture that event. The local tournament will take place just ahead of the ITF Jamaica Junior International Tournament, which will be held at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre from July 12-19.

High quality expected

Tennis Jamaica's technical director, Douglas Burke, is looking forward to some high-quality tennis at the All-Jamaica junior championships.

"We are looking forward to some really good matches," Douglas Burke said. "The tournament is always a competitive one and it is always good preparation ahead of the ITF event," he said. "Most of the top juniors will be coming for this event. There are several of the local players doing well, so we are looking forward to an exciting tournament."

In addition to the under-18 event, the tournament will also have a boys and girls 10, 12, 14 and 16 age group categories.

More than 100 participants from all over the island are expected to take part in the event, which will run from July 2-6.