Tennis: Bermuda Fight Hard Against Jamaica
Bermuda’s Trey Mallory battled in a 3 hour war against Jacob Bicknell of Jamaica winning 6-7[2], 6-3, 7-6[4]
In a match full of momentum swings and breaks, the first set started out with 17 year old Trey Mallory taking a commanding 4-1 lead. The players battled and with Mallory serving at 5-4, Bicknell broke his serve leveling the match at 5-5. Bicknell would win the set in a tie breaker.
The second set saw Mallory again begin quickly, breaking serve early and taking a commanding 5-1 lead before closing the set 6-3.
The third set was closely contested with some long points in the Costa Rican heat and altitude, with both players showing signs of fatigue. Mallory would break serve to take a 5-4 lead however would be broken serving for the match to level at 5-5. Mallory would then play a great return game, moving the ball from side to side to take a 6-5 lead. Bicknell appeared to pick up an injury and took a medical time out. The break appeared to break Mallory’s rhythm and he lost his serve. With the match going into a tie breaker, Mallory would work through a few nerves and close out the tie breaker 7-4 to win the match, raising his hands in the air after the final point.
Tariq Simons would take the court next against Rowland Phillips. Phillips, a seasoned Davis Cup player, would use his all court game to move Simons in every direction and take a 4-0 lead. Simons would settle in, playing a great service game, ending it with an ace down the center at 40-30. Simons would then have several opportunities to break serve, only to have Phillips come up with some blistering serves. Players would hold serve over the next three games, with Phillips taking the first set 6-2.
Phillips would continue his power tennis in the second set, with Simons competing for every point. One epic point had Simons moving from side to side, playing excellent defense. His opponent would play a drop shot which Simons somehow reached, kept the ball in play and then finished the point with a high forehand volley. Despite his determination, Simons would go down 6-2 in the second.
This set up a winner takes all match in the doubles, with the Bermuda team of Neal Towlson and Gavin Manders taking on Phillips and Dominic Pagon.
The match was played at a frantic pace, with both teams hitting amazing shots, with the speed of everything enhanced by the thin air at the Costa Rica Country Club. Bermuda would fight hard, but fall behind early in each set, falling 6-1, 6-3 to the Jamaican pair.
