Canadiennes squash competition at Costa Rica Bowl tennis tourney

Canadian under-18 female tennis players took charge Monday in the first day of the Costa Rica Bowl tournament, obliterating the competition.

Favorite Khristina Blajkevitch, of British Columbia, aced her Costa Rican opponent, Carolina Miño, 6-0, 6-0. Quebecoise Marianne Jodien beat Mexico´s Karen Hernández 6-3, lost one 2-6, and pressed on to win 6- 4 in the tie-breaker.

In the boy´s division, Mexican Gerardo Meza is the top seed.

Monday´s highlights included Colombia´s Andrés Herrera squashing of Salvadoran Sebastián Moreno, 6-2, 6-3, and Venezuela´s Enrique Mattos beating Dutchman Gino Meeuwsen 6-3, 6-1. Mitchell Krueger, of the United States, lost his first set to Czech player Pavel Vanis 2-6, only to come back and slam him 6-3, 6-3.

All Costa Ricans were knocked out early from the competition, according to tournament press coordinator Francisco Sanabria Mena.

The Grade 3 tournament takes place through Saturday at the Costa Rica Tennis Club in the western San José district of Sabana Sur.