Barbados hosting Pacific Oceania in February

By Morissa Lindsay

It has been confirmed that Barbados will host Pacific Oceania on the weekend of February 3rd and 4th, 2023, at the National Tennis Centre in Wildey and will need to win if they are to remain in World Group ll of Davis Cup competition.

Barbados Tennis Association (BTA) vice-president Junior King made the disclosure that Barbados opted to host what is no doubt a must win tie having lost to visitors Ireland 3-2 which added further pressure on the national team to stay in group two.

Compared to other countries in the Caribbean however, Barbados, captained by Damien Applewhaite, has continued to hold its own in the tennis world for a couple of years. Jamaica, who has earned its place to compete in the World Group ll playoff against Estonia, is the closest team to the Bajans.

While the dates and venue have been confirmed, it remains to be seen who will join Darian King and Haydn Lewis on the national team. The national selection committee will have a much better look sometime in December when the BTA hosts its annual Top Eight Invitational tournament which features the very best players on the island.

This should give the selectors a better
gauge as to where the players are and who is more suited to step up and take on the responsibility of carrying the torch with King and Lewis who continue to be of great service to Barbados.

The likes of Xavier Lawrence who recently won the Inspirational Academy Tennis competition, along with fellow Davis Cup players Kaipo Marshall and Matthew Foster-Estwick, were all part of the Barbados Davis Cup team that narrowly lost 3-2 to Ireland.

Lawrence, Marshall and Foster-Estwick are capable players but just require more game exposure and whoever is chosen to play will need to bring their best knowing what is at stake.

Pacific Oceania on paper are on the
same level as Barbados with their highest ranked player Colin Sinclair having a
world singles ranking of 619 and 585 in doubles.

Pacific Oceania is also made up of 14 countries – Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb