Salt Spring is proving a popular destination for young tennis players.
On Aug. 25, the 11th Annual Rogers Rookie Junior Tennis Tournament saw 10 of 12 players come from Victoria and the Lower Mainland, with Aya Soulfeather and Paulo Acevedo-Mallard from Salt Spring Island.
Early morning rain showers caused a four-hour delay in the tournament start time. With the assistance of parent and tennis club volunteers, tournament director Marianne Banman managed to squeegee, blow dry and towel off the courts so that the first of two tennis events could commence.
Banman said a field of seven U10 Orange Ball juniors began playing their matches at 12:30 p.m. under drying conditions and cloudy skies. Cameron Furmedge and Marc Allen, both from off-island, claimed the winner and runner-up respectively of the U10 event. They were rewarded for their efforts with a Pharmasave gift card.
The U12 Green Dot Ball event was comprised of five players, all from off island.
Banman said “the U12 round- robin competition was fierce,” with the champion determined after the last match of the afternoon. Bianca Toaxen was the U12 winner with a total of 21 games and Lucien Pelletier-Slater was the runner-up with 19 games under his belt. Both players were from off-island and also earned Pharmasave gift cards.