The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THEY fell short of repeating an historic feat last year but both the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup teams still managed to deliver encouraging performances. Both teams finished fifth at the 2012 North/Central America and Caribbean Pre-Qualifying which concluded in Santo Domingo over the weekend. The Junior Davis Cup team of Rasheed Carey, Phillip Major and Treajh Ferguson dominated Group B and finished 5-1 in the tournament overall. The lone loss came in the playoff round against the Dominican Republic when the Bahamas fell to the eventual champion and top seeded team in Group A. Carey lost to Manuel Castellanos 6-3, 6-0 while Major lost to Juan Bisono 7-5, 6-3. In the 5th to 8th place bracket, the Bahamas won its final two matches to secure the final seeding. Against Honduras, Ferguson won over Roberto Aviles 4-1, 4-2 and Carey secured the match with a 5-4, 1-4, 4-0 over Rodrigo Duron. In their final match, they blanked Panama after Carey and Major won in singles. Carey won 5-3, 4-1 over William Barnes, while Major won 4-1, 4-0 over Ernesto Dillon. In opening round play against Curacao, the Bahamas won 3-0. Carey topped Malik Levens 6-0, 6-1, Phillip Major topped Niels Van Dam 6-0, 6-0 while Major and Treajh Ferguson defeated the pair, 6-1, 6-1. Against Jamaica, they again won 3-0 when Carey defeated James Cruze 6-1, 6-2, Major defeated Simon Levy 6-3, 6-1, while Major and Ferguson again won doubles over Levy and Cruze 6-3-6-0. They closed out Group C play with a 2-1 win over Panama. The Junior Fed Cup team of Simone Pratt, Erin Strachan and Gabriella Bowe also went 5-1. In the playoff round, the Bahamas lost against Costa Rica, 2-1. Pratt won her singles match 6-1, 7-5 over Mariela Huag. However, Strachan lost 6-1, 6-1 to Ariana Rahmmanparast. The Costa Ricans got the upper hand in the deciding doubles match with a 6-1, 6-2 win. In the 5th-8th place bracket, the Bahamas won its final two matches to secure the final seeding. Against El Salvador, Strachan won 4-2, 4-0 over Christina Perdomo and Pratt won 4-2, 4-3. Against Guatemala, Bowe played singles for the first time and won 4-0, 4-0 over Melanie Ortiz. Pratt won 4-0, 4-1 over Camila Ramazzini. Cuba went on to win the pre-qualifying tournament. In the opening round, the Bahamas blanked Panama, Curacao and Guatemala in its opening matches. In opening play against Panama, Strachan defeated Maria Peralta 6-1, 6-0, Pratt disposed of Daniela Diez 6-1-6-0 in less than an hour and the duo paired to take down Diez and Lorena Villarreal 6-0, 6-1. They clinched the tie over Curacao when Strachan won 6-0, 6-1 over Zena Riguad and Pratt won 6-0, 6-1 over Daynisja Ricardo. In the third match, Strachan topped Ortiz 6-0, 6-3, Pratt topped Ramazzini 6-2, 6-1 while they teamed up to defeat Ortiz and Daniela Solares 6-3, 6-2.