Bicknell, Phillips ready for month-end Davis Cup tourney

With just under three weeks to go before the start of Jamaica’s Davis Cup Group Three matches, the country’s top tennis players, Blaise Bicknell and Rowland ‘Randy’ Phillips, say they have been working assiduously to ensure that they are in tip-top shape for the tournament.

The tournament, which consists of eight teams, will be held in Costa Rica from June 22-25. The other participating teams are The Bahamas, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the host nation. Three teams will advance to the Group Two play-offs later this year.

The Jamaicans were beaten by host Greece in a Group Two play-off earlier this year and according to Blaise, the country’s number one player, the team is very determined to win this tournament and return to the Group Two play-offs.

“We are very ready for the tournament because we have been playing tournaments and competing well,” said Bicknell. “It is going to be a tough tournament, but we are confident that we can get the job done and return to the Group Two play-offs. The other members of the Jamaican team are Daniel Azar, Jacob Bicknell and John Chin.

Bicknell, 20, added that the camaraderie in the team is excellent, and everyone is looking forward to playing their part at the competition. “I am very strong because I have been doing a lot of work with the physical trainer, and so I am ready for this tournament,” he said. “The team chemistry is good, and we are all working hard and getting along well, and so we are just looking forward to it,” he said.

Phillips, who is the country’s number two-ranked player, also said the team is very determined to return to the Group Two play-offs.

“It was a painful loss against Greece, and so we want to get a chance for redemption, and so we are going to go out there and play some good tennis and win this tournament in Costa Rica,” said Phillips who added that it (the competition) will be very tough, because they will be called on to play a lot of matches.