The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH a little more than two weeks left before they head to Panama City, Panama, for the men’s American Zone III Davis Cup tie, veteran player/captain Marvin Rolle said he’s making sure that all of the players will be ready.

Rolle will lead the team composed of rookie member Justin Roberts along with returning players Kevin ‘KJ’ Major and Baker Newman when the competition is held June 30 to July 3.

The Bahamas will be playing against nations such as Bermuda, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago and the US Virgin Islands.

Antigua and Barbuda and St Lucia have both withdrawn from the competition.

The top two nations will advance from the Americas Group III to contest the 2022 World Group II play-offs.

Rolle, a 16-year veteran of the team who has played every year since 2001, except for 2002 and 2004, said while Major Jr is in Germany playing, both Roberts and Newman are in Florida getting ready.

“This is Justin Roberts’ first time on the team, but I’m sure that he will overcome the butterflies because he’s used to playing team tennis in college, so I think he could do very well,” Rolle told The Tribune.

Having done it so many times in the past, Rolle said it shouldn’t be any problem for the team to come together in Panama and play like a well-oiled machine.

“I’m used to being here and some of the players were away and we never got together until we went to the tournament, but it was like we never left each other,” said Rolle, who has led the team in doubles with a 26-17 win-loss record and has held his own in singles with a 14-15 showing.

“We know what to do when we’re away from each other and what we have to do to bring it all together when we are a team. So that shouldn’t affect us at all.”

As one of the top teams to watch, the 37-year-old Rolle said they will respect their opponents because they never know what to expect, but they warned that they will not back down from any opposing team. “We should be able to make it to the finals and see what happens there,” he predicted.

Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association president Perry Newton, who will remain in Panama following the women’s Billie Jean King Cup next week to support the men’s Davis Cup team, said the male players are just as excited about competing as the females.

“We have a team committee that prepared the team and they handled all of the logistics, the COVID-19 requirements and they made sure all of the test forms were completed,” he said.

“We had a team meeting on Sunday and those guys indicated how excited they are about representing the country again.

“They won’t be here to work out together like the ladies, but they will go to Panama and get together there.”

As the captain, Newton said he’s confident that Rolle can get the players together and he’s hoping that the team will go to Panama and get the job done to be promoted.

“Everybody will get there on the same day, so we will make sure that they have everything that they need on the court to be successful,” he said. “I am very confident that this team will do very well and advance to the next level.”

The Bahamas played its last tie in Zone III in 2019, losing to Honduras in the Zone III finals. Rolle captained the team that was composed of Newman, Philip Major Jr, Justin Lunn and Donte Armbrister.

The 2020 competition was cancelled due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.