By Neto Baptiste
Antigua and Barbuda got off to a winning start in Zone Four of this year’s Davis Cup tennis competition being held in Trinidad.
Jody Maginley got the ball rolling with a 2-0 defeat of Cuba’s Dayron Zuniga, winning 6-1, 6-1. However, there was defeat for Rodaine Monelle who went under 6-2, 6-3 to Cuba’s Galindo Roiniel.
Antigua and Barbuda’s doubles team of Maginley and Cordell Williams Jr then went on to claim their clash against Cuba’s pair of Roiniel and Yoan Perez 2-1. Cuba claimed the first match, 6-3, before Antigua and Barbuda rebounded to claim the second match, 6-3. The Antiguans then triumphed in the third and final match, 6-4.
Maginley, who is off to a dream start in the competition, said that although representing one’s country comes with some pressure, he is simply focused on enjoying the tournament.
“I think there is always more pressure playing for your country and, if you ask any of the tennis players who play Davis Cup they would tell you the pressures are different, but from a leadership standpoint I don’t think so that I am under pressure. I am just excited to come and play so I just wanted to come here and put in good performances and enjoy the week with the Antiguan guys,” he said.
Cordell Williams Jr echoed Maginley’s sentiments, stating that the plan is to relax and play tennis.
“Being my fourth or fifth time playing Davis Cup, it’s just to put our best foot forward and do the best that we can and just leave it all out on the court. We are only in control of what we can control, so it’s just really for us to do the best that we can. We’re already here so we just have to do what we have been taught and just perform the best we can on the court,” the player said.
Meanwhile, team captain/coach Cordell Williams said the aim is promotion to the upper tier.
“My expectation is for us to come in the first two so [that] we can move up to zone three for next year. We’re now in zone four and myself and the guys will be working hard to try to get promotion to zone three for next year; that is our goal,” he said.
Full Squad: Cordell Williams (Captain), Jody Maginley, Cordell Williams Jr, Rodaine Monelle and Ron Murrain.
