The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association's team of veterans Larikah Russell and Nikkita Fountain and teenagers Gabrielle Moxey and Simone Pratt returned from the 2012 Fed Cup having lost all of their matches in the Americas Group One. The team, captained by Pratt's father Grand Bahamian Sidney Pratt, played on the red clay outdoor courts at the Graclosa Country Club in Curitiba, Brazil, over the weekend. By virtue of losing all of their games, including a 2-0 decision to Venezuela in the relegation playoffs, the Bahamas will be demoted and join Bolivia in the Americas Zone II in 2013. The Bahamas played out of Pool A against Canada, Argentina and Peru but they were unsuccessful in all of their matches in identical scores of 3-0. Bolivia played out of Pool B, losing in the same fashion to Colombia, Paraguay, Brazil and Venezuela. Argentina, winning Pool A at 3-0, went on to play Colombia, the winner of Pool B at 4-0, in a match to determine who will advance to play in the World Group II playoffs April 21-22. With a 2-0 victory, Argentina earned the rights to move on. As a result of their finish in order, Colombia, Canada, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela will remain in the Americas Zone One for next year. In their match against Venezuela to stay in the Americas Zone One next year, Nikkita Fountain lost 6-2, 6-0 to Gabrielle Paz while Simone Pratt lost 6-4, 6-2 to Andrea Gamiz. During the round robin segment, the Bahamas opened up against Argentina. Larikah Russell lost 6-3, 6-0 to Paula Ormaechea and Simone Pratt was beaten 6-2, 6-0 by Florencia Molinero. The combo of Russell and Fountain teamed up for the doubles, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Mailen Auroux and Maria Irigoyen. In their second match against Peru, Gabrielle Moxey lost 6-1, 6-1 to Patricia Ku Flores and Simone Pratt was knocked off 7-6 (4), 6-3 by Bianca Botto. Again, Fountain and Russell teamed up in doubles but they lost 6-1, 6-4 to Ferny Angeles Paz and Katherine Gabriela Miranda-Chang. And in their last match against Canada in the round robin play, Moxey dropped a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Marie-Eve Pelletier and Pratt lost in identical scores of 6-1, 6-1 to Stephanie Dubois. This time in doubles, Fountain teamed up with Moxey as they suffered a 6-1, 6-0 lost to Sharon Fichman and Marie-Eve Pelletier. The team was due to return home yesterday but none of the members were available for comments. Next up for the BLTA is the men's Americas Group III Davis Cup tie in Trinidad & Tobago in June. The Bahamas will join Aruba, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the US Virgin Islands in the 10-team field that will be divided into two pools. The top nation in each pool plays off against runner-up in other pools, with two winning nations promoted to the Americas Zone Group II for 2013. As the Americas Zone Group IV has now been merged with Group III, there will be no relegation for 2013. So far, BLTA president Stephen Turnquest said Marvin Rolle is the only player selected to the team. He did it by virtue of winning the December Invitational at the National Tennis Center. However, Turnquest said the BLTA is looking at the possibility of staging another trial to determine who will secure the remaining spots on the team - a date for that trial has not yet been released. The team is expected to be captained once again by John Farrington.