TT need one victory to stay put

The combined experience and controlled aggression of the Stone brothers — Shane and Troy — and national champion Ivor Grazette ensured Trinidad and Tobago achieve their goal of whipping Caricom partners St Lucia 3-0 in the crucial American Zone Group Three relegation tennis tie yesterday.

The 3-0 victory placed the “Calypso Boys” in the leader position for the four-team play-offs to determine the two teams which will remain in Group Three. Playing on court one at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo, 25-year-old Shane Stone, playing as the number two player, proved too much for Yves Sinson and romped to a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory. Grazette, playing as the number one seeded player, continues to impress with his overall development and recorded his first victory for the 2003 competition. Yesterday, TT’s reigning senior champion did not let down coach Lennox Francis who strategically decided to let him play in the number one slot.

The experience and exposure in this year’s series helped Grazette to lift his game to a higher level and he finally answered the call with an heroic performance against the determined Vernon Lewis. Grazette fought off Lewis in the first set to squeeze home by a 7-5 margin. But he provided the home supporters with much joy as he scorched Lewis in the second with a convincing 6-1 scoreline after one hour and 19 minutes. His victory gave TT both singles titles. It was now the turn of the Stone brothers who have carried TT colours over the last four years. They did not disappoint and combined beautifully to conquer the Alberto Richelieu Jnr and Sinson tandem in a hard-fought three-setter which finished at 6-4, 3-6 and 7-5 after a marathon two-and-half hours of tension. TT must win at least one match today against Guatemala on court one.

Davis Cup Results - Fourth Day

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO beat St Lucia 3-0.
Shane Stone bt Yves Sinson 6-2, 6-1; Ivor Grazette bt Vernon Lewis 7-5, 6-1; Shane and Troy Stone bt Alberto Richelieu Jnr and Sinson 6-4, 3-6 and 7-5.

GATEMALA beat Honduras 2-1.
Pablo Hernandez bt Cristian Paiz 7-6 (5) and 6-1; Carlos Caceres bt Rodrigo Gabriel 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0 and Caceres and Hernandez bt Walter Barahona and Jorge Tajeda 6-2, 6-3.

PROMOTION GROUP

JAMAICA beat El Salvador 3-0
Dustin Brown bt Jaime Cuellar 6-4, 6-4; Ryan Russell bt Rafael Arevalo 6-2, 6-1; Brown and Russell bt Jose Baires and Augusto Sanabria 6-1 and 6-3.

PUERTO RICO beat Bolivia 2-1.
Luis Haddock-Morales bt Alberto Sottocorno  7-6 (3), 6-2; Gabriel Montilla bt Javier Taborga 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4; Gilberto Alvares and Jan Luis Polhamus lost to Diego Camacho and Sottocorno 6-4, 1-6, 4-6.