Bermudian tennis starlet Daniel Phillips has moved into the final of the Little Mo International tournament at the IMG Academy in Florida.

Phillips, the No?1 seed in the boys’ under-eight green dot division, defeated Daniel Clivio, of the Bahamas, 6-7, 6-1, 10-4 in yesterday’s semi-final of a competition that has attracted 259 players from 40 countries.

The Somerset Primary student will face his doubles partner, Moritz Kudernatsch, of Germany, in today’s final in a match that is too close to call, according to Sam Maybury, Phillips’s coach.

“The guy Daniel is playing in the final is the No?1 player in his age group in Germany,” he said.

“It’s going to be a tough and tight game because both players have aggressive forehands and crosscourt backhands.

“They are both energetic and athletic players and I couldn’t even make the call. I suspect it will come down to who can hold their nerves the best.”

The Little Mo International tournament will be staged for the first time in Bermuda from April 12 to 18 at Coral Beach, Elbow Beach, Pomander Gate, WER Joell Tennis Stadium and Tucker’s Point.

Maybury said that he hoped the competition would attract more than 150 players, including 20 to 30 Bermudians.

“We’re getting some decent support in Bermuda, but could do with a little more support to solidify the total budget for the competition,” he said.

“We would definitely like to get the word out that this is a prestigious event and we would like to get all hands on deck and make it a success for our young children.”

The Little Mo tournament is named after Maureen Connolly, who was the first woman to capture the grand slam of tennis in a calendar year — Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. She remains the only American and youngest player to achieve the feat.