Team Bahamas captured the championship at the Jr Davis Cup in Santo Domingo, where 17 nations competed in this U16 event. Team Bahamas and Team Trinidad and Tobago shared center stage as the two Caribbean countries would battle it out at the Jr Davis Cup Prequalifier event in the Dominican Republic. The team of William McCartney, Jackson Mactaggart, Jerald Carroll, and Coach Spencer Newman came out victorious. This is the second Junior Davis Cup championship for the country, with the Bahamas Team of Shaquille Taylor, Kevin Major Jr., Christian Cargill and Coach Bradley Bain winning the country’s first-ever regional Pre-qualifying event in 2011. This year, Team Bahamas would record the nation’s first win in 13 years, taking out Aruba, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala on their way to the Championships.
In rubber #2 against Trinidad and Tobago, Jerald Carroll, who did not drop a set in singles, all the tournament long remained undefeated as he placed Bahamas ahead 1-0, winning 6-2 7-6(2) in straight sets, giving Team Bahamas the early edge in this Tie. Jackson Mactaggart would follow in another great singles match where he won easily 6-2, 6-3, he was also undefeated in his singles play in this event. There was no need to play doubles due to the Bahamas winning both singles 2-0. William was also instrumental in both singles and doubles for the team during the tournament, helping in the shutout win 3-0 against Aruba.
The team received trophies on court as the ITF Development Officer for the Caribbean, Mr John Goede, and BLTA President Perry Newton joined in. President Newton congratulated the hard-working team. He stated, “I am extremely proud of William, Jackson, and Jerald as they played an amazing tournament. Thanks to Coach Newman, who led the boys to victory. It shows we have world-class talent in the Bahamas at all levels. We want the players to continue to work hard and follow their dreams, as we will be here to support them. We are excited about the Qualifying Jr Davis Cup, where the team will compete later this year. “
The BLTA extends congratulations to the team who put in a lot of hard work and to Coach Spencer Newman, who was debuting as the national team coach. Coach Newman is the 2021 National Champion and 2022 Davis Cup player. His three objectives for the Boys were focus, attitude and effort, and he is very happy that he was able to help them achieve these objectives and win today.
In addition, Team Bahamas Girls Cup ended with a Top 4 Finish among 13 nations competing at the Jr Billie Jean King (JBJK) Cup in the Dominican Republic. The team had 2 shutout wins, 3-0 against Aruba and Trinidad and Tobago and a 2-1 win against Costa Rica. The team of Tatyana Madu, BreAnn Ferguson and Tatyana Madu soared to the semifinals, where they had a hard-fought battle against Honduras, losing in the 3rd set match tiebreak 9-11. Takaii Adderley was undefeated in singles in the tournament, playing in the #2 rubber. Takaii won all of her singles matches; 5 straight against Aruba, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala with one 3-hour victory against Honduras. The team was captained by Coach Larikah Russell, who was extremely proud of the girls. Coach Larikah, who played for the Bahamas at the Billie Jean King (formerly Fed Cup), is the player with the most wins in BJK history.
The BLTA President, Perry Newton, congratulated the team on a wonderful run to the semifinals and noted that their matches were all highly competitive as The Bahamas went toe to toe with the top athletes in the region. We thank Coach Larikah, who celebrated her birthday during this event. Thanks for making the sacrifice for Team Bahamas. We thank God for allowing both teams to experience success at these events.
We also thank BLTA’s national team committee for fielding and organizing the first two international teams for 2024 with much success.
The next two teams will be competing next week in El Salvador in the World Juniors Championships, where the best in the U14 in the region will be participating.
Original Post Date: March 2, 2024
