Guyanga Weerasekera recorded a resounding win in this year’s 26th International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Tennis Tournament held from February 23-28 at the Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) clay courts in Colombo.

After his memorable win in last year’s the Boys’ Singles category, where he beat the Brit favourite Eliot Barnwell in a hectic three setter in the same tournament, Weerasekera was expected to do well this year as well since the Lyceum International School18-year-older has improved on his ITF rankings up to 640 before this year’s event. He was the third seed in the Singles.

Weerasekera had defeated the boys’ top seed Ryoto Tachi of Japan who held an ITF junior rank of 522 in his semi-final encounter with a score of 6-4, 7-5 and has had an easier competition in the final.

His girls’ segment counterpart Jithmie Jayawickrema meanwhile lost in her final hurdle losing to a Wild Card entry from Japan, Kanami Tsuji, in a somewhat unexpected manner.

It was a productive event for the hosts as they emerged champions in the Boys’ Doubles category as well. Both Amresh Jayawickrema and Dineshkanthan Thangarajah won in Doubles when they ousted the Thailand pair of Natasitha Luesantia and Tas Suwanasang 4-6, 6-2, 15-13.

The main sponsors of the Tournament this year were 3G Sports and the People’s Bank.

The Davis Cup Trials, aiming for the April 13 event to be held in Aleppo, Syria, (Asia-Oceania Zone Group-III) began last Monday (March 2). The following players had been named for the Trials.

1. Harshana Godamanna (not to play Trials. He will be an automatic entry)

2. Rajeeve Rajapakse (28)

3. Sankha Atukorale (21)

4. Michael Siyaguna (18)

5. Guyanga Weerasekera (18) and

6. Amresh Jayawickrema (17)

The Trials were to be over last Saturday (7). The top three, out of the five who were playing a match against each other, were to be picked to join Godamanna for this year’s team comprising four players.

Asiri Iddamalgoda, former two times Davis Cup rep for Sri Lanka, also was named earlier as Sri Lanka team’s Non Playing Captain as well as the Manager this year.

Four (4) local junior teams who toured Myanmar last week have led modest campaigns there in three events, the SLTA reported last Thursday.

In all three, that had been over by last Thursday (except for the Junior Davis Cup event), the Lankan teams have been able to qualify for the next respective rounds in the tourneys.

Following are the respective positions they have had achieved in three out of four events in Myanmar.

1. Malaysia, 2. Kazakhstan, 3. SL and 4. Myanmar

The top three nations have been qualified to enter Asia-Oceania Zone Qualifying Round to be held in Australia in April, 2009.

1. Myanmar, 2. Singapore, 3. SL and 4. Kazakhstan

The top three nations, including SL, have been named for Asia-Oceania Zone Qualifying Round in Malaysia in May, 2009.

1. Myanmar, 2. Singapore and 3. SL