Local tennis could be looking to break the Moseley-Williams stranglehold on its National Championships title game.
Barbados Tennis Association president Dr Raymond Forde said the council was contemplating shifting the date of the tournament from September to June to accommodate more overseas-based players.
Forde hinted at the move ahead of tomorrow’s men’s final, which will see Seanon Williams face Russell Moseley for the fourth time in the last five years.
“The guys who are overseas, who are at college, the best time for them [to play in this tournament] is really June, because they don’t finish their studies until May,” said Forde.
“The top juniors don’t go off to the junior circuit until late June, so I can see a window somewhere in the middle of the month or the third week of June.
“There is great consideration of moving it to June but, to be honest, we haven’t done up our tournament schedule for next year yet.”
The shift to summer should see a more competitive tournament from next year as the championships have suffered from the absence of the big names over the years.
Overseas-based pro and world No.448 Darian King – Barbados’ best player – is currently playing in Mexico and hasn’t appeared in at least the last four National Championships.
His Davis Cup teammate Haydn Lewis is also overseas, while Hornby brothers, Adam and Richard, along with fellow Davis Cup hopeful Matthew Hutchinson, are n tennis scholarships.
Williams and Moseley have seemingly had no competition, especially at the National Championships stage, where the two have split the last five titles, while playing each other in four of those finals.
“They are the best of the local players who are here and clearly a cut above the rest,” said Forde,.
“A lot of our top juniors haven’t transformed yet into the next level, so hence the two of them will keep beating those juniors until that happens.
“But there is a gap between Darian [King] and the rest, nd once Haydn is in full fitness, he is also a notch above the two them as well. Young [Matthew] Hutchinson also won the last tournament at Ocean View, so that may be a great sign of things to come.”
But at least one person has found no issue with the duo dominating the final, even as his record currently stands at 0-3 against Williams.
“I really enjoy playing against him [because] the matches are almost always very competitive, so I hope I bring my ‘A’ game [tomorrow],” said Moseley.
“I’m always looking forward to it. The only thing I don’t want to happen is for it not to be a good match.”
