The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas, in its bid to improve on his runner-up position last year, blanked Barbados 5-0 to win their opening match in the Bahamas IC International Doubles Week on Majority Rule Day.

Although they played their first match yesterday, the weeklong tournament got started on Monday and will continue through the weekend at the National Tennis Centre.

While the Bahamas prevailed with a clean sweep over their Caribbean rivals, Canada had a tough battle but pulled off a close 3-2 decision over the International Team, comprising of players from a combination of nations.

On Monday, a depleted USA team held off Canada 3-2 and Barbados, which features Bahamian Leo Rolle, clinched a 5-0 sweep over the International team.

“We’ve had some good matches, even though it’s been windy,” said tournament director Kit Spencer. “It’s challenging conditions to play in, which has been a levelling positions for the teams.

“We had some problems with transportation in the United States. Some people couldn’t get flights because of the snow and others arrived without baggage, but things are starting to come together.”

After watching their performance yesterday, Spencer said he’s looking for the Bahamas to continue their winning ways, but anything could happen as they look forward to a possible rematch with the USA on the final day of competition.

The tournament calls for eachteam to play four individual matches - one with each country (four match days and one free day).  Men’s Doubles combined age 105+ and combined age 125+; Ladies Doubles combined age 105+; Mixed Doubles combined age 105+ and combined age 125+. Age is what a player will be by the end of 2017 (ITF standard).

In their initial match, the Bahamas used a team of Neil Mactaggart and Mas Kimball to win 6-3, 6-3 over Ian Gentle and Leo Rolle; Sue Kimball and Kim O’Kelly won 6-1; 7-6 over Marie Gentle and Julie Salomon; John Antonas and Guiaume Bouffard won 6-2, 6-2 over Raymond Ford and Peter Symmonds; Sue and Mas Kimball won 4-6, 6-4, 11=9 over Marie Gentle and Leo Rolle and Kim O’Kelly and Neil Mactaggart won 6-4, 5-7, 10-5 over Julie Salomon and Raymond Ford.

“We have a good team and the whole point is that while it’s competitive and friendly, the conditions are tough for everybody,” said Antonas, the Bahamian team captain. “The wind has had some havoc, but it looks as if everybody is doing their best under the conditions. We pulled out a couple of close matches, especially the mixed doubles where we had to go to the tie breaker.

“We’ve beaten Barbados, which is our first match and tomorrow we will play the International team, so we’re taking it one match at a time. We know that everybody will get better and we will get used to playing on this surface under these conditions.”

The most difficult part of the tournament, according to Antonas, is matching up their players in the various age groups to face the challenge they will get from their opponents. But he said the Bahamas is stacked enough to get through it.

Julie Salomon, representing Barbados, said they are always excited to be back in the Bahamas and even though the weather is a little cooler than previous years, they like the facilities at the NTC.

“The people here are just awesome. They put on a nice event for us and it’s so competitive,” she said. “Afterwards, we all get together based on our motto ‘Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean.’ So it’s really, really nice.

“Our Barbados contingent is small, but mighty and I think we’re competitive as any team here. We had a great match against the Bahamas today. It was so close and tight, but they were just a little better than us. I wish them well and I wish us well the rest of the week.”

In the other match played, Canada won 3-2 over the International team.

Peter Clarke and Bob Benneyworth won 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 over Kit Spencer and Devin Fisher; Owen Pellew and Fraser MacDonald won 6-4, 7-6 over Habbo De Vere and Brigitte Hostrup and Pam oley and Rob Benneyworth won 6-0, 6-1 over Ellie Brown and Tommy Turnquest. But Pam Olley and Janice Longhurst lost to Kelly Kerr and Brigitte Hostrup, while Janice Longhurst and Fraser MacDonald lost 6-2, 6-4 to Habbo De Vere and Brigitte Hostrup.

As the defending champions, Bob Beverley said the USA is not yet at full strength and it showed in their close 3-2 win over Canada on Monday.

“Other than the wind, which is pretty difficult to play in, it’s always great to be here and we look forward to coming to the Bahamas to play,” said the American team captain. “We only come here to ply in this tournament.

“It’s very competitive this year. There are at least three teams out of the five teams and on any day can beat one another. So I hope that we can be victorious, but I can bet you that the final score in whoever plays in the final will be 3-2 one way or the other.”

With the USA experiencing snow in some states and the recent attack on a number of persons at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Beverley said they are still waiting on their full team to arrive in time for their second match today against the International team.

“We’ve lost a number of players and a few of our good players should be here by tomorrow,” he said. “The weather and the situation in the United States has hurt us, but we had a day of today, which was good. So I think we will do well.”

Today, starting at 9 am, the USA will play the International team and the Bahamas will face Canada. Then on Thursday, the USA will play the Bahamas and Canada will take on Barbados.