The man to beat at the ongoing Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre Tennis Open top seed Damion Johnson lauds the local tennis federation for the staging of such a tournament as he believes it is what local players have been craving for some time now.

The tournament, which commenced on Tuesday, was open to persons from anywhere in the world. The five-day event which is being staged at the Liguanea Club started out with 32 men vying for the top prize of $500,000 and five women, who will play in a round-robin format, competing for $100,000.

"I would say this is a success for this new federation, because this is what tennis needs," Johnson said.

reinvigoration

"We have wanted tournaments of this calibre all along for reinvigoration and get everybody that used to play and still want to play interested again.

"This is a very good start and it is good for the comeback of tennis on a whole," he added.

Johnson, however, shares what seems to be the general view that youngsters need more access to playing facilities for the sport to further develop locally.

"We need more tennis courts; if you go to these Central American countries that are doing well in tennis, they have a lot of public courts, so kids can pick up a tennis racket and go out there and play around," Johnson said.

"We don't have that here, most of the courts in Jamaica are privatised, and that is what is holding our tennis back," he added.

top seed

The 26-year-old does not feel any extra pressure from being the tournaments top seed. If anything, it is his opponents who must be wary, as he received a walkover in his first match, which was scheduled for Wednesday.

"Seeding never really places pressure on me," Johnson declared. "I am just really excited to get in there and start playing and get the competition started. "I am going there to execute and play according to my game plan, so I am not nervous or scared of anybody; I am going there to win," he added.

The former Ferncourt High man, who has made 12 Davis Cup appearances for Jamaica, has been coaching locally for the past year, after having worked abroad with various academies.

"I was kind of forced into coaching, after finishing college I did not get the opportunity to go out there and play on the circuit, so I was pretty much forced to go and coach to make a living," he explained.

- R.J.