TT hold on to Davis Cup tennis group spot

It was crunch time and tension gripped the home town supporters at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo when the Stone brothers — Shane and Troy — took the court for the final doubles match of the Davis Cup American Zone Group Three encounter yesterday.

The tie, against Guatemala’s top-rated pair of Cristian Paiz and Gabriel Rodrigo was the last match of the five-day series and all were riveted to every service, every rally and every play. Established players — Shane Stone and Ivor Grazette — had lost their singles matches and TT badly needed the doubles victory to hold on to their cherished position in Group Three. Defeat would have pushed them down to Group IV for the next season. Urged on by the partisan home crowd, the Stone brothers proved their granite-like determination as they held their nerves and composure to record the memorable and historic 6-4, 7-5 victory over Paiz and Gabriel. Guatemala, unfortunately,  go down to Group Four.

Earlier in the day, Shane Stone provided a glimmer of hope securing the one important victory to seal TT’s fate. Playing against Paiz in the first singles match, the 25-year-old took the first set at 6-3 but faltered and lost the other two at 4-6 and 4-6 after two hours and five minutes. Grazette, playing the serve and volley game, fought bravely against Rodrigo Gabriel but succumbed at 5-7 and 3-6 after one hour and 21 minutes of gripping action. Group “A” leader Jamaica proved their superiority and maintained their unbeaten record in the 2003 play-offs by trouncing Puerto Rico 3-0 in their final round match. Both teams gained promotion and will compete in the American Zone Group Two next season. 

Final Day Results
RELEGATION GROUP

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO lost to Guatemala 2-1
Shane Stone lost to Cristian Paiz 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Ivor Grazette lost to Rodrogo Gabriel 5-7, 3-6; Shane and Troy Stone bt Paiz and Gabriel 6-4, 7-5.

HONDURAS beat St Lucia 3-0
Pablo Hernandez bt Alberton Richelieu Jnr 6-0, 6-1; Carlos Albert Caceres bt Yves Sinson 6-2, 6-4; Hernandez and Caceres bt Sinson and Richelieu jnr 6-3, 6-1.

Results: Remains in Group Three — TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO and GUATEMALA.
Relegated to Group Four: HONDURAS and ST LUCIA.

PROMOTION GROUP.

JAMAICA beat Puerto Rico 3-0.
Damar Johnson bt Jan Luis Polhamus 2-6, 1-0 (retired); Dustin Brown bt Gilberto Alvares 6-2, 6-0; Nakia Gordon and Johnson bt Albares and Gabriel Montilla-Licha 7-5, 6-2.

EL SALVADOR beat Bolivia 3-0.
Jamie Cuellar bt Diego Camacho 5-7, 6-3, 6-3; Rafael Arevalo bt Alberto Sottocorno 6-1, 6-4; Jose Baires and Augusto Sanabria bt Javier Taborga and Ramiro Benavides 2-6, 6-0 and 6-3.

Results: Promoted to Group Two — JAMAICA and PUERTO RICO.
Remains in Group Three — EL SALVADOR and BOLIVIA.
 
FINAL STANDINGS
1 Jamaica ; 2 Puerto Rico; 3 El Salvador; 4 Bolivia; 5 Honduras; 6 Trinidad and Tobago; 7 Guatemala; 8  St Lucia