Bermuda’s Under 12 Boys’ tennis team showed tremendous fighting spirit in their opening match of the 2025 ITF/COTECC Sub Region 3 competition in the Dominican Republic, narrowly losing 2-1 to Puerto Rico after three gripping three-set encounters.
The Bermudian squad, led by captain Evan Heyliger, saw Trystan Thompson deliver a brilliant comeback. He overcame a first-set deficit to win 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 against Jose Juan Betancourt, giving Bermuda a 1-0 lead.
However, Manuel Maldonado couldn’t hold his advantage after winning the first set against Francisco Perez, eventually falling 6-0, 6-3, leveling the tie.
The deciding doubles match saw Oliver Anderson and Manuel Maldonado take the first set 6-3, but the Puerto Rican pair of Perez and Betancourt fought back to win the second 6-3 and then sealed the overall 2-1 victory in a tense third-set tie-breaker, 10-7.
Despite the narrow defeat, the Bermudian boys displayed remarkable resilience and competitive spirit, setting a promising tone for the rest of their tournament.
