Samuel Ricketts, Tahlia Richardson, open with wins at Jamaica International
However, Jamaica’s number-one female Katherine Wynter and Dennis Coke were not as fortunate, losing their respective first-round matches.
Meanwhile, Matthew Lee had a first-round walkover over USA’s Timothy Lam but was to face number-one men’s seed and defending champion Kevin Gordon of Guatemala Thursday night.
Ricketts defeated Shae Michael-Martin of Barbados 21-10, 21-5 in a relatively easy manner.
“It is never easy. You have to go out there and be focussed, but I was at a different level physically,” he said, revealing that he pounced on the Barbadian’s nervous start and height.
“I sensed that he was a bit timid so I took advantage,” he said afterwards. “He is tall so I kept him digging for the low stuff.”
Meanwhile, Richardson beat Cheyanna Burnett-Griffith 21-9, 21-11.
Richardson later paired up with Dennis Coke to win her mixed doubles match against the Barbadian pair of Kennie King and Burnett-Griffith 21-13, 21-8.
Richardson was down to play defending champion Jordan Scott in second-round singles play on Thursday night. Scott brushed aside Jamaica’s Tania Daley 21-8, 21-5 in her first-round match.
Wynter, meanwhile, went out having lost to USA’s Isabel Zhong 21-15, 21-13 in a keenly contested match.
She later teamed up with Matthew Lee in the mixed doubles to defeat fellow Jamaican pair of Che Alexander-Beckford and Stefani Brown 21-6, 21-8.
Coke lost to Ade Resky Dwichayo of Azerbaijan 21-11, 21-10.
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