RUSSELL
JAMAICA FACE a stiff challenge when their Americas Zone Group Two Davis Cup clash serves off today against hosts the Dominican Republic at the Centro Español in Santiago.
The experienced Ryan Russell, in his 31st Cup rubber, will lead Jamaica's charge squaring up against the Dominican Republic's highest-seeded player Johnson Garcia in the first match.
When the two last met in the Davis Cup last year, though Jamaica lost 3-2, Russell came away the victory in the reverse singles encounter, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Recalled to the squad in the absence of top collegiate player Damar Johnson, Scott Willinsky will face Victor Estrella in the second rubber. The players have never met before. Though not yet confirmed, Russell is expected to team with veteran Jermaine Smith to face up to Garcia and Estrella in the doubles tomorrow.
CAPTAIN CONFIDENT
In addition to playing away from home, the red clay of the Dominican Republic stadium is not the preferred surface for the Jamaican players who have spent most of their careers on hard courts. However, team captain Douglas Burke remains confident.
"We have a very experienced team. They have played on different surfaces in the past and in different situations and we have had to adjust," Burke said.
"We have had to travel a lot for various ties ... quite a lot. We won in a similar away match to stay in Group Two in Puerto Rico a year and a half ago."
The team's dramatic victory came after dropping the first two rubbers.
"We are well aware of the fact that they are a good strong team," Burke said of the hosts. "However, our guys are feeling good and have been in situations like this before," he said.
The Dominican Republic lead the head-to-head ties between the teams 2-1 and Jamaica have not beaten them since 1997 when the countries first met in Bermuda.
However, the fact that they have won the last two encounters is not a major concern for Burke.
"Each tie, each contest is a unique event with its own set of circumstance, so I don't think that our recent loss is playing in the back of anybody's mind. Ryan won both his matches, even though we lost the tie and he has played these guys quite a few times," Burke said.
- Kwesi Mugisa
