Bermuda’s junior tennis stars faced a grueling afternoon under the cooling temperatures in Guatemala City, as the host nation delivered a clinical 3–0 sweep in their latest Under-16 Boys Round Robin fixture.
Competing in Group 1 of the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup NAMCAM Pre-Qualifying Tournament, the Bermudian trio of Jaden Jones, Michael Collins, and Hasan Khan found the cold riddle to solve against a seasoned Guatemalan squad. The tone for the tie was set in the opening singles match, where Jorge Estevez utilized his home-court advantage to perfection, defeating Jones in straight sets 6-1, 6-0.
The mountain became even steeper in the second singles rubber as Michael Collins stepped up to face Martin Garcia. Despite a spirited second-set resistance from the Bermudian, Garcia’s consistency from the baseline proved decisive, securing a 6-2, 6-3 victory to give Guatemala an unassailable 2–0 lead.
Bermuda looked to salvage a point in the concluding doubles match, with Collins returning to the court alongside Hasan Khan. However, the Guatemalan pairing of Julian and Martin Garcia maintained their dominance at the net, closing out a 6-1, 6-2 win to complete the comprehensive victory.
The result leaves Bermuda with work to do in the remaining group stages as they target a spot in the final qualifying rounds in Canada this April. Veteran coach Brent Smith will now look to regroup his squad, focusing on technical adjustments to help the young stars find their rhythm.
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