The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A PAIR of singles victories by Spencer and Baker Newman was all the Bahamas needed to dispose of Jamaica to win their American Zone III Davis Cup semi-finals and end a seven-year drought as the Bahamas now advances back up to Zone II in 2017.

Not only did the Bahamas complete a sweep of their crossover playoff match, but their week-long impressive undefeated performance in La Paz, Bolivia, as the Newman brothers, making their debut for the Bahamas, got the job done in grand style.

Spencer came back from a 6-3 loss in the first set to pull off a 6-1, 7-5 win over Damian Johnson to get the ball rolling. Baker, back in action after taking a day off on Thursday to allow Philip Major Jr to play in their 3-0 sweep over Trinidad & Tobago to complete their Group B round robin, responded with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 decision over Damion Johnson to secure a 2-0 decision.

With the tie complete, there was no need for player/captain Marvin Rolle and Spencer Newman to go onto the court to play the doubles against Jamaica’s Dominic Pagon and Rowland Phillips.

“Bahamas did it. We came out with the team victory,” said Rolle as they celebrated in Bolivia. “Spencer played the first match. He lost the first set. He came out a little nervous, but he won the second set. In the third set, he was down 5-4 with Jamaica serving for it, and he was able to hang in there and came out with the win.

“Baker came on second and he played a great first set. In the second set, he was up 4-2 and he got a little nervous as Jamaica came back to win it 6-4. But in the third set, he was down again, but he fought and he came out with the victory.”

Rolle said he’s happy that the Bahamas is now heading back to Zone II.

Spencer Newman was just elated to get the Bahamas first win in the pivotal tie.

“I was up a set 4-2 in the first set, but my nerves just started to kick in,” he said. “The guy started playing a little better, but I was able to tough it out and gutted it 7-5 in the third.”

Although he knew the tie was on the line, Spencer said he was just thrilled as everybody else on the team that they prevailed and are out of Zone III.

Baker Newman added that it was ironic that he and his brother found themselves in similar situations, but they managed to get the job done.

“Both matches down 5-4 and the other guys serving for it, but we pulled through,” he said. “In my match, I was up a set, 4-2, 40-5, but my nerves started to kick in. The guy started plying better, but I was able to gut it out.”

Major Jr, who only played in the match against Trinidad & Tobago, said the team went out and did what they had to do.

“Today was pretty crazy. We finally made it out the trenches,” he said. “Hopefully we can continue moving forward. We don’t want to be here anymore. This is too tough.”

The Bahamas advanced through pool B with a perfect 4-0 record after beating both Honduras and Costa Rica 2-1 and Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago 3-0.

Now ranked 78th in the world, the Bahamas can look forward to returning to Zone II where the team of Devin Mullings, Timothy Neilly, Bjorn Munroe and Marvin Rolle, captained by John Farrington, last played in 2009, losing first to Paraguay on the road and to Guatemala at home at the National Tennis Center.

The team is due home tonight.