Mixed results for T&T players at COTECC Trinity Cup

There were mixed results for T&T players on the opening day of the COTECC G3 Trinity Cup 2026 Tennis Tournament at the National Racquet Centre in Orange Grove, Tacarigua, Saturday (April 11).

Rohan Ramcharita, the eight-seeded player, was the only T&T player to have pulled off a victory against a player outside of T&T in the boys’ under-14 round robin play-offs.

Outside of that, the local players perished in front of their home fans. Ramcharita, facing Brazilian Santiago Avila Morales, who entered the match as the fourth-ranked, was stopped in his tracks by the T&T player, who came from a set down, 3-5, to prevail in the end, 4-2 and 10-4, on court 1.

Otherwise, the other T&T players struggled against international competition. Tedros Charles, the unranked T&T player, was brushed aside by Levi Klaverweide of Suriname in straight sets, 4-0, 4-0.

Earlier, T&T’s Michael Hamel-Smith was swept aside by Casare Van Der Zwart of the Netherlands, 4-0, 4-0, and Brazil’s Morales wasted little time in defeating Thiago Harricharan of T&T, 4-0, 4-0. The day had belonged to the visiting players as the T&T players either failed to find their footing or stayed too long to figure out their opponents.

Nicholas McLetchie then succumbed to a 4-0, 4-0 defeat to Vadim Aussepe Vinette of France; Keyah Roberts surrendered to Great Britain’s Antonia Williams 4-0, 4-0 in the girls’ under-14 round robin; Teijah Wellington went down to Irene Mallet-Pinsolle 4-0, 4-0 on court 2; Jordanne Mason was beaten by France’s Rachel Aly 4-0, 4-0.

Vinette later returned to the court to follow up on his victory over McLetchie with another convincing 4-0, 4-0 victory over T&T’s third seed Eli Paty, and Briton Williams followed him by returning to dispose of Zara Walker 4-0, 4-0.

Also in the losers’ row was Kaylan Manoo, who went down to Cruz Thornton of Barbados 4-1, 4-0; Suri Ramcharan, going down to Aly 3-5, 4-2, 10-5; and Laurielle Lewis, who lost to Mallet-Pinsolle 4-1, 4-0.

Ramcharita stood out as one of the bright sparks for T&T, battling to a 5-4(5), 4-1 victory in his opening match of the day, and Dylan Clifford, who hardly built up a sweat in disposing of Austin Ward 4-1, 4-0. In other matches, Ryan Steuart prevailed over Kaylan Manoo 4-1, 4-0; Samiyah Mohammed defeated Laurielle Lewis 4-0, 4-0; Harrison Hadeed whipped Thiago Harricharan 4-0, 4-0; Hamel Smith clobbered Tedros Charles 4-1, 4-0; Mohammed received his second victory on the afternoon by beating Wellington 4-0, 5-3; and Amelia Woo reigned supreme over Roberts 5-4(4), 5-4(6).