The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN his first appearance as team captain, Dentry Mortimer said he felt the team played as well as expected, but simply didn't have the experience to advance out of the American Zone III tie.

The team - Marvin Rolle, Rodney Carey Jr, Philip Major Jr and Jody Turnquest - advanced to the playoffs as the top seeds in Group B.

In the playoffs, however, the Bahamas lost 3-0 to Haiti and was unable to move to Zone II next year.

"The overall experience was good. Two of our guys, this was their first time experience and it was an experience for me (as a captain)," Mortimer said.

"The first few days we looked good. Against Jamaica, we came out a little iffy, but in the end against Costa Rica, being the No.1 seed in Group B, we looked magnificent."

Against Haiti, Mortimer said, they played a much better team who had played in Zone II the year before, only to get relegated to Zone III.

"It was tough. I just think that if we had a little more in the tank, we would have pulled through," said Mortimer, who noted that the players had to adjust to playing everyday except for the off day on Thursday.

Mortimer said he wasn't disappointed that the team didn't get the chance to make it out of the playoffs and advance to Zone II.

"They gave their best effort, especially Marvin. He tried 110 per cent. I think he wanted it just as bad as anybody out there," Mortimer said. "It was great with the team we had."

Now they're back to the drawing board.

"The make up of next year's team could be different, considering that all the players play the Invitational," Mortimer said. "I think this team could be a lot stronger than it was."

Derron Donaldson, the newly elected president of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, said the team performed as best as they could.

"I expected them to finish in the top two, but they didn't," Donaldson stated. "It was a good experience for them. They have the talent and they're fit and ready to go. They just need the experience. We're now planting a seed that we hope will reap some harvest for us in about two to three years. The sky is the limit. We could be looking at moving up to zone one very soon again."

Donaldson said after speaking with Mortimer, the BLTA's national youth director, he was proud of the way they represented the Bahamas and he's eager to have him stay on as captain if the committee decides to continue in that manner.

As for his exposure, Mortimer said he enjoyed his new role as the captain. "The competition was tough. The guys out there are hungry. They are playing to get out of Zone III," he said. "You could just see the intensity on the court. It was just great."

With the Bahamas looking at carrying a more younger team, Mortimer said the players just need to get the exposure playing at a higher level because the majority of the teams have players who are playing year round on the professional circuit.

"The one thing I would encourage them to do is get a lot of match play, a ton of tournament play," said Mortimer, who noted that if given the opportunity, he would jump at the chance of being the captain again.