Senior Multimedia Reporter
nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt
Host T&T’s chances of promotion from their Billie Jean King Cup Americas Zone Group Three Tournament Qualifiers were halted in a 2-1 defeat against unbeaten Barbados in their final Group A match at the National Racquet Centre, Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua on Friday.
Starting the day needing a 3-0 sweep of Barbados together with a Bahamas win over Jamaica by a similar margin, the T&T team of (captain and player/coach Annaleise Rose, Aalisha Alexis, Charlotte Ready, Jordane Dookie, and Yolande Leacock saw their hopes lifted when Dookie won the first set against Barbadian Serena Bryant in the opening tie of the best-of-three clash in stunning style, 6-0.
However, Bryant then turned things around and won the next two sets to put Barbados ahead 1-0 and virtually end the locals hopes of qualification as a top two finisher in the five-team round-robin pool.
T&T’s disappointment was confirmed in the next outing when Leacock was swept aside by Gabrielle Leslie 1-6, 3-6 before Dookie and veteran Rose avoided the clean sweep by beating Hannah Chambers and Cherise Slocombe in the Doubles, 6-3, 6-2.
With the win, Barbados ended with a perfect record of 4-0 at the top of Pool A while Jamaica who edged past Bahamas in their clash 2-1 ended in the runner-up spot with a 3-1 record with T&T third at 2-2 and Bahamas, fourth with a 1-3 mark, and Antigua & Barbuda, bottom of the table without a win.
In Group B, Costa Rica defeated El Salvador 3-0 in the clash of unbeaten teams to take the top spot with a4-0 record to their rivals 3-1 mark ahead of today’s cross-over semifinals with the top two teams from Group A while St Lucian ended in the third spot at 2-2 and will meet T&T in the fifth placed playoff. Bermuda was 1-3 and ended in the fourth spot while Aruba was winless.
Friday’s results
Pool A
Barbados 2 bt T&T 1
Serena Bryant bt Jordane Dookie 0-6, 6-4, 6-4
Gabrielle Leslie bt Yolande Leacock 6-1, 6-3
Hannah Chambers/Chersie Slocombe lost to Jordane Dookie/Anneliese Rose 3-6, 2-6
Jamaica 2 bt Bahamas 1
Adeola Greatorex lost to Sydney-Nicole Clarke 3-6, 4-6
Najah Dawson bt Simone Pratt 6-3, 6-3
Najah Dawson/Adeola Greatorex bt Syden-Nicole Clarke/Tatyana Maduabuchukwu 6-3, 6-2
Pool B
St Lucia 3 bt Aruba0
Jessica Eudovic bt Danna Nunez 6-4, 6-2
Meggan William bt Jelsyvette Kaylyn Croes 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Jessia Eudovic/Iyana Paul bt Mali Baroud/Danna Nunez 6-2, 6-4
Costa Rica 3 bt El Salvador 0
Lucia Gallegos bt Michelle Irigoyen 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
Nicole Alfaro bt Sara Cruz Bonila 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Allison Blanco/A Cordero bt Daniela Aguilar/Sara Cruz Bonila 6-0, 7-6(5)
Final standings
Pool A
Teams*P*W*L*MatchesWon*matchesLost
1. Barbados*4*4*0*10*1
2. Jamaica*4*3*1*9*3
3. T&T*4*2*2*6*6*
4. Bahamas*4*1*3*5*7
5. Antigua& Barbuda*4*0*4*0*12
Pool B
1. Costa Rica*4*4*0*12*0
2. El Salvador*4*3*1*9*3
3. St Lucia*4*2*2*6*6
4. Bermuda*4*1*3*2*10
5. Aruba*4*0*4*1*11
