Imani Phillips, Kayla Ming and Scott Redmond advanced to the knockout stage of the International Tennis Federation’s Junior Circuit Junkanoo Bowl in Nassau, Bahamas, yesterday.

But the same could not be said for their team-mates David Gibbons, Mathias Delage and Maria Ramirez who were eliminated at the first hurdle.

Redmond will enter the next stage of the competition with his confidence soaring after winning group three in the boys’ under-14 category with an unblemished 3-0 record.

He lost only three games en route to convincing victories against Bahamians Trenton Fowler, 4-0, 4-2, Ethan Moss, 4-1, 4-0, and India’s Amav Umesh, 4-0, 4-0.

Phillips and Ming both finished runners-up in their groups to advance to the next stage.

Phillips lost her opening match against eventual group winner Afrika Smith, of Bahamas, that was decided by a tie-break 5-3, 4-0, 1-0.

But she quickly dusted herself off and came storming back to record emphatic victories against Bahamian Maya Weech, 4-1, 4-0, and Elbow Beach team-mate Ramirez 4-0, 4-0.

Ming also lost her opening group match against Bahamian Sydney Clarke, 0-4, 5-3, before recording successive victories over Bahamas’ Hana Dixon, 4-1, 4-0, and Donesha Gibson, 4-2, 5-3, 1-0.

Ramirez’s remaining losses were against Smith, 4-1, 4-0, and Weech, 4-2, 4-2.

Gibbons lost against Grenada’s Ukipioronfo, 4-0, 4-0, and Bahamas’ Jacobi Bain, 4-1, 4-1, before defeating Bahamas’ Trenton Smith, 4-0, 4-1, to finish third in his respective boys’ under-14 group.

Delage lost to Bahamian rivals Donte Armbrister, 4-0, 4-0, and Tinajh Hinsey, 5-3, 3-5, 0-1, before prevailing 4-1, 4-0 against another Bahamian Isaac Roberts to bow out of the tournament with a win under his belt. David Leader and Luke Sterling both came up short in their bids to qualify for the main event in the boys’ under-18 division at the weekend.

Leader got off to a bright start after winning his opening qualifier with Australian Joshua Ecalnir 6-4, 6-2. But that was as good as it got for the Bermudian who was eliminated after losing 6-0, 6-1 to Costa Rican Cascante Arrea in his next match.

Sterling was ousted after stumbling at the first hurdle, losing 6-2, 6-2 against Mexican Garcia de Celis Guerra.

Accompanying the Island’s team, which is made up entirely of players from Elbow Beach Tennis Club’s junior programme, are coaches Tara and Jackie Lambert and Chris Weeks.

The ITF sanctioned Junkanoo Bowl, which is being played at the National Tennis Centre, is a grade four tournament that runs from July 7 to 12.