Fisher warms up for Fed Cup with Open double
Tennis prodigy Sasha Fisher bagged two titles and came within a set of a third on finals day at the Port Royal Open.
The 14-year-old won the women's A singles and the mixed doubles with partner Ricky Mallory, but Fisher and Shonette Wilson lost a three-set women's doubles final on an action-packed Saturday for the youngster.
Fisher's startling performance came just a week before she is due to fly to Antigua for her Federation Cup debut, when she will become the youngest player ever to represent Bermuda in senior international tennis.
Last year, Fisher made history when she won the BLTA Grand Prix at the Southampton Princess at the age of 13 and so became the youngest winner of a women's A singles title.
And at Port Royal, she proved that was no fluke as she beat her Fed Cup team-mate Shonette Wilson in a three-set semi-final before defeating Sheila Gomez in another three-setter in the final.
Gomez is Fisher's aunt and was her first coach when she started playing tennis at the age of five. She fought hard to prevent her former pupil from getting the better of her.
But the niece eventually prevailed 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a tense match which lasted more than two hours.
"Even though she's my aunt, I didn't know everything about her game,'' said Fisher. "It was a really good challenge. I concentrated much harder in the third set to win.'' Fisher said she felt she had improved over the course of the week.
"I played some pretty good matches,'' she said. "I've learned to be more patient. Before I was trying to put the balls away too fast and I was putting it out.
"This tournament, I was hitting with more spin on it, so I could keep it in but still hit at a hard pace.'' The Fed Cup team leave on Saturday and Fisher was undaunted by the prospect.
"I'm really excited to be going and I will just go and try my best,'' she said. "I always go into matches with a positive attitude.'' Fisher's coach Steve Bean was delighted with her progress.
"She is coming along so well,'' said Bean. "This tournament she has gained a lot of confidence in her ability.
"She is striking the ball so cleanly and that is something we don't see enough from the ladies here -- you see a lot of pushing the ball.
"Even when the situation is tight she strikes the ball well. She's not afraid to go for her shots. She is opening up the court when she hits the ball hard but she has also got good touch. The combination of power and touch makes her a very good player.'' Bean was on the receiving end of Fisher's talents in the mixed doubles final as he and Laverne Stowe went down 6-1, 6-4 to the youngster and Mallory.
Fisher was denied a trophy treble by Wendy Gelhay and Debbie Chang, who saw off Fisher and Wilson 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Fisher's sister Kara, also 14, almost brought home more silverware for the bulging family trophy cabinet, but went down in the women's B final, 6-3, 6-4, against Pat Pamplin.
Sam Maybury claimed the men's A singles title, winning a battle of the veterans against Eugene Simmons, 6-1, 6-4.
In the men's doubles championship, Mallory claimed his second trophy, as he and Bean beat Maybury and Ryan Swan 6-4, 6-2.
Youngster Hamish McCallum defeated fellow junior Gavin Manders 7-6, 6-3 to take the men's B singles title. And Gelhay became the third player in the tournament to win two titles as she teamed up with Gill Butterfield to pip Barbara Lambert and Laverne Stowe 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 in the senior women's doubles final.
Double delight: Teenager Sasha Fisher, who won two out of three finals at Port Royal on Saturday.