By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribune media.net

DONTE Armbrister set the pace for Team Bahamas, winning his first-round match in the men's singles yesterday as the tennis competition got underway at the National Tennis Centre.

Southpaw Armbrister, one of two Bahamians representing the Bahamas in a five-day competition for boys and girls, won 6-3, 6-1 over Graham Mani of the Solomon Islands.

"It was good playing someone from a different country who I never played against before," Armbrister said. "I didn't know what his game was like, so at the beginning I was kind of nervous and I was overthinking at times."

Armbrister, 15, broke twice to go up 3-1 in the first set. After Mani broke to cut the deficit to 3-2, Armbrister got the break back at 4-2 and they went on to serve out the set.

In the second set, Armbrister got the early break for a1-0 lead, broke again at 4-1 and closed out the set and the match with his final break for the 6-1 win.

"I just want to work on my serve. My form is there, but I just have to clean up and be more perfect on each point I play," said Armbrister as he look ahead to the rest of the draw.

Nobody was more thrilled to have watched the match than Armbrister's mother Darnett Weir, who also serves as the secretary general for the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association.

"As a mom, it isn't a win until it's over when the two players go to the line and shake hands," she insisted. "I've been through many matches where he's been up 5-2, but the other player came and run him down.

"I think this first round is a good warm up for him because he has some top players to play against as he moves forward. But if can continue to play as well as he did today, he will be okay."

With the win, Armbrister is now scheduled to face number four seed Eleftherios Neos from Cyprus in today's second round.

Also, today, Isabel Donaldson will play her first round match when she takes on No.8 seed Anika Senevirantne from Sri Lanka,

"I feel pretty good and I'm very confident in my strokes and everything," Donaldson said. "I don't know much about the girl I'm playing, so I think it will be an interesting match.

"I'm really just concerned about sticking to my game plan and being consistent and just staying confident in my game. I'm really honored to be representing my country in this mini Olympics. I hope I can do very well."

Armbrister and Donaldson are also set to play in the mixed doubles, something they are both looking forward to doing.

"She is a good player with a good forehand and a good serve, so I think we should be very well as a right-lefty combination," Armbrister said.

Donaldson, 18, said she was pleased with the way Armbrister played in his first round match and if that is any indication, he should be ready for the mixed doubles.

"We're two pretty good players, so I'm not worried about how we perform," said Donaldson, who played with Armbrister a few times. "I think we will do very well."

Armbrister said he's excited to be a member of the team as they participate in the first Commonwealth Youth Games that has been held in the Caribbean.

Team Bahamas coach Cerene Rolle said he liked what he saw in Armbrister's game today and he's eager to see how well he progresses along with Donaldson.

"He was under a lot of pressure playing at home with the crowd watching him," Rolle said. "It can go two ways. Either it works for you or against you.

"As for Isabel, I expect that she will do very well too. She just has to stay within her way and she will be okay. She just has to take it point by point and see how it goes."

Rolle said it will be interesting to see how the two players mesh their talent together to play in the mixed doubles.

"I'm really looking forward to the mixed doubles. I think they have some very good chemistry," he said. "Isabel is a very aggressive player and Donte is in between some times, but I think she will bring out his game, so it's going to be a lot of fun."

Results of other matches played saw No.6 seed Codie Van Schalkwky win 6-1, 6-3; No.8 seeed Emmanuel Plange of Ghana def. Ernest Habiyambere of RWA 7-6 (3), 6-4; Nyathi Motlojoa of LES def. Romani Mayers of Barbados 6-0, 6-3; Aidian Carter of Trinidad & Tobago def. Xander Owne-Vasilis of ANU 6-2, 6-0; Matthew Stubbings of PNG def. Cordell Williams Jr of Antigua 6-3, 7-5 and Peter Alam of England def. Adrian Marshalleck of BIZ 6-0, 6-1.

Motlojoa, 17, said he's been impressed with everything he's experienced so far here at the games, so he's looking forward to improving on his performance as the tournament progresses.

"It was tough because I was trying to get used to the humidity and the altitude here," he said. "It's fun. It's different from home. I'm getting a different exposure from being at home.

"It's my first time being this part of the world, but it's definitely everything that I expected and even more. It's my first tournament of this type, but I hope to leave this place as a better player."

On the women's side, Georgina Moolman of Namibia def. Ilana Blackwood of Jamaica 6-4, 7-6 (3); Alexandra Hunter of Scotland def. Natasha Forrest of Jersey and Emma Rose Trestrail of Trinidad & Tobago def. Chrisma Au of Solomon Islands 6-0, 6-0.

Tonga pulled out of the competition as Jan-Philippe Murray of St Lucia and Vienna Kumar of Fiji won their respective matches over Tuapasi Afemui and Brookie Maasi respectively by a walkover.