Prospects of a Caribbean sweep of the singles titles at this year?s Bank of Bermuda Foundation ITF World Ranking Junior Tournament crashed spectacularly yesterday when the 18 & Under Girls? top seed was ousted after being just two games from a semi-final victory.

Leading handsomely 4-1 in the final set, Yolande Leacock of Trinidad & Tobago was as speechless as the spectators as Carolyn McVeigh ? playing like she was on a mission ? rolled past her, winning the next five games and the match.

The 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 triumph at the W.E.R. Joell Tennis Stadium set up what should be a thrilling final between American McVeigh, the number eight seed, and the unheralded Pamela Duran of Ecuador.

The latter, who has gained a lot of fans this week, rallied superbly to beat Puerto Rico?s Manijee Ashrafi 6-1, 5-7, 6-1.

?I felt I was playing well but in the second set she started playing better and I was the one who making unforced errors,? noted McVeigh.

The 15-year-old Connecticut resident?s determination ?to play more consistently in the third set? soon came unglued as the lanky Leacock rushed ahead strongly and was probably imagining herself in today?s title match when McVeigh began her revival.

?When I was down I just tried to focus on every point ? one point at a time ? and not on the fact that I was down. That?s all I did,? said the winner of her strategy.

Duran, too, battled demons of her own en route to success.

She looked well on the way to wrapping up her semi-final when a fiesty Ashrafi ? who withstood three match points in the quarter-finals ? mounted a sterling rearguard action.

Having lost the opening set and falling behind 3-1 in the second, Ashrafi sprung another recovery to move ahead 5-3 before closing out the set to force a third. Any thoughts of the number three seed progressing to the championship match were shortlived though as Duran regained her composure and penchant for success, whistling through the third set 6-1.

?I think I relaxed in the second set because I thought she would continue missing her shots and give me the points but she started playing better and things got complicated,? said 18-year-old Duran, pictured, who won last week in Costa Rica.

?I had opportunities to win the second set and I didn?t take them but she took hers. I was more focused in the third set and I?m very happy to be in my second final in a row.?

Meanwhile, top seed Alberton Richelieu kept the Caribbean hopes alive as he advanced to the Boys 18 & Under final with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over southpaw Arnaldo Lovera of Venezuela. Down 5-2 in the second set, the St. Lucian unleashed a torrent of winners ? particularly a wicked inside-out forehand ? to prevail in straight sets over the number four seed.

?I have a problem whenever I win the first set in a match. I always think the other guy is going to come back at me and I have trouble closing out the match,? said the 17-year-old.

?For some reason I play badly in the second set and lose it and that?s what nearly happened here today.?

Regarding today?s final, the dreadlocked player stated he came here to win the tournament and that he will do his best to remain calm and focused to complete his objective.

His rival will be Andrew Sharnov who beat fellow American Jack Boling 6-3, 6-1 in a semi-final featuring two unseeded opponents.