The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With the threat of rain all weekend long, the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association reduced its three-day trials for the men's Davis Cup team to just a one-day affair.

The trials, which came down to just a three-man showdown, was held throughout the day Friday at the National Tennis Center after Justin Lunn was unable to play because of an injury.

As a result of the trials, the players joining top seed Marvin Rolle, who was exempted from competing, are Rodney Carey Jr, Philip Major and Jody Turnquest.

Rolle, the winner of the BLTA's December Invitational and the only player with any ATP computer points, was exempted from taking part in the trials which saw Carey Jr emerge as the winner at 2-0, followed by Major at 1-1 and Turnquest 0-2.

Results of the matches played are as follows:

Philip Major defeated Jody Turnquest 6-1 6-0; Rodney Carey def. Major 7-6(7-5) 6-2 and Carey defeated Turnquest. 6-3 76(7-3).

Newly elected BLTA president Derron Donaldson said despite the inclement weather, they were pleased to complete the trials, even though they ended up playing late in the night. "Their efforts were really great because they didn't complain. They stayed and they played."

Donaldson said he was impressed with the performances of all of the players but he noted that Carey was a little more experienced than the other two players who have not yet made their breakthrough at the senior level.

Carey was a member of the Davis Cup team in 2010 but he didn't make the team last year. In both of his matches, Donaldson said Carey got a little push but he was able to prevail with his experience.

"It was a great trials. The guys played. They displayed great sportsmanship and they did what they had to do," he said. "They all put up a fight, which we were pleased with."

Although Rolle gets the top spot on the team, Donaldson said new captain Dentry Mortimer will have the final say in who plays singles and doubles when they travel to Trinidad & Tobago to play in the American Zone III tie June 18-23 at the Shaw Park Tennis Facility in Tobago.

The tennis facility, which boasts eight courts, will be hosting its second international tournament, the first since the aborted Caribbean Games was held there in 2009.

"Kim (O'Kelley) is actually the chairman of this committee and she has made it mandatory that the four players come down a week before they leave to practice so Dentry can assess them and do the line-up of who plays singles and doubles," Donaldson said.

"It's just like in basketball. If Kobe (Bryant) ain't hot, you can pull him and put in someone who is. He (Mortimer) can change the line-up after watching them in practice instead of them believing that because of how they finish in the trials in how they will play."

Once at the tie, Mortimer has a two-hour window before each match to make any changes to the line-up that he deems necessary.

As for the make-up of the team, Donaldson said they definitely have the talent, “but I guess it will come down to their experience," he said.

"We have two new young players in Philip (Major) and Jody (Turnquest), who just need to know what to do in certain circumstances. I think the experience will be a key factor but the players all have the talent and they are fighters, so they should do very well."

With the American Zone III and IV all combined into one, the 10 countries will be divided into two pools during the tie.

The top two countries will be promoted to Zone II for 2013, while the others will remain in Zone III.

In addition to the Bahamas and host Trinidad & Tobago, the other countries participating are Aruba, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama and the US Virgin Islands.