NIC THIBEAULT has got Guernsey off to a flying start at the Commonwealth Youth Games.

His match was the first on in the junior men’s tournament on centre court and he crushed his Norfolk island opponent Mark Taylor 6-0, 6-0.

The Guernsey youngster was pleased with his performance: ‘It was a good warm-up for me and it was good to get used to the court. The Guernsey support was great and really spurred me on.’

Thibeault now faces a real challenge as his next game is against the number one seed, Nigerian professional, Emmanuel Sunday, ranked in the top 700 in the world ATP ratings.  But the Sarnian is undeterred by the quality of his opponenent: ‘It’ll be a great opportunity for me. I have nothing to lose.’

In the girls’ tennis competition Heather Watson (pictured) was pleased with her draw as fifth seed and she opens against Shani Williams from Antigua.  The seedings have been difficult to assess as so few of the players have competed on a global scale, but it was reassuring for Watson that she has defeated the number one seed, England’s Jade Windley, in the pre-qualifiers at Wimbledon in July.

But Watson was her usual self-effacing self as she pointed out that that match was on grass and she had been at the top of her game on that day.