By Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
Jamaicans Dominic Pagon, left, and Rayne Russell shake hands after winning their third-round doubles match at the Cable & Wireless/ITF Junior International Tournament at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston yesterday. They advanced to last night's quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over the Netherland Antilles' duo of Rasid Winklaar and Nick Van Rosberg. Pagon will be in action this morning in the boys' singles semis, after upsetting top seed Christopher Eldon in yesterday's quarters. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Jamaican wildcard Dominic Pagon pulled off the upset of the Cable & Wireless/ITF Jamaica Junior International Tournament yesterday when he stunned No. 1 seed Christopher Eldon in the quarter-finals at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston.
In a topsy-turvy, three-set encounter, Pagon emerged victorious 1-6, 6-0, 6-4 and now faces No. 3 seed Michael Samara of the United States in this morning's semi-finals.
Pagon was blown away by Bahamian Eldon in the first set yesterday but gained an early break in the second and capitalised on that to its fullest as the No. 214 ranked junior player completely lost focus.
The young Jamaican carried that momentum into the decisive set and was up 4-1 before Eldon awoke from his slumber.
The top seed pulled the score back to 4-3 and then 5-4 but, according to Jamaica's national coach Douglas Burke: "He (Pagon) played an excellent game to serve the match out."
The victory gives Pagon at least 20 Junior Tour points and will earn him a world junior ranking after this event.
Jamaica's other senior boys quarter-finalist, Damian Johnson, bowed out in unfortunate fashion.
After two and a bit tough sets against Samara, severe cramps in both legs forced him to retire with the score at 7-5, 5-7, 2-0 in favour of the American.
This morning's other semi-final pits Chile's Felipe Villasenor against David Lopez of Panama. Villasenor dusted off Aruba's Clifford Geil 7-6, 6-0 while Lopez sent home Jonah Kane-West of the US, 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Jamaica's sole hope in the girls' main draw, Alexis Panton, felt the full wrath of No. 1 seed Ellah Nze as she was humbled 6-0, 6-0 in the quarters.
Today's girls' semis pit American Nze against Mexican Laura Hernandez and Canada's Eunice David against Alexis Dorr, of the US, in an all-North American affair.
Action starts today at 9:00 a.m.
