- Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Jamaica's Ryan Russell, left, lunges for a backhand as doubles partner Karl Hale looks on during their Davis Cup Americas Zone Group Two match against Mexico at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston yesterday. The visitors trounced Jamaica 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
MEXICO TOOK a stranglehold on the Davis Cup Americas Zone Group Two clash against Jamaica at the Liguanea Club yesterday with a thoroughly dominant performance in the pivotal doubles.
On Friday the teams split the singles 1-1, leaving the Jamaica camp pleased with its performance and the highly-rated Mexicans upset.
Yesterday, the Mexican pair of Daniel Langre and Victor Romero asserted the Central American team's authority with an utter rout of the hosts' pairing of Ryan Russell and Karl Hale in less than two hours, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
Jamaica must now win both of today's reverse singles to clinch the tie and advance to playoffs for Group One. Otherwise, they face a relegation encounter which could lead them back to Group Three from which they advanced last year.
Despite two double faults, Hale held serve to open the key rubber yesterday but then it was pretty much all downhill as the host side could muster only two more games in a lopsided bout which saw the Mexicans superior in every facet of doubles play.
Langre's return of serve was almost Andre Agassi-like with the ball pitching at his opponents' feet with monotonous regularity, the Mexicans did not drop a service game during the entire match and took control of the net from early - and that is where doubles matches are won.
Jamaica's captain, Douglas Burke, lauded the Mexican pair after the rout.
"From the outset, they returned very well and that put us on the defensive," Burke said.
"We never quite got settled ... Credit to them, it was the way they were returning serves, Langre was just scintillating, he was returning down the line, crosscourt, we could never get into a rhythm," he said.
"They seemed to be a step ahead of us today and really on their games."
NONE TOO PLEASED
The Mexicans were none too pleased by Friday's split in the singles and captain Oliver Fernandez had a few choice words to tell his team on Friday night.
"We had a serious talk but I won't tell you what I said, only that it was in Spanish," Fernandez said.
The captain was also surprised by the selection 36-year-old Hale for the doubles rubber.
"I did not expect him to play ... age was on our side and I was surprised by the decision that the Jamaican captain made," he said.
Everything now comes down to today's reverse singles with first day winner Russell taking on Mexico's No. 1 Miguel Gallardo Vallez at 10:00 and then Scott Willinsky is scheduled to face Luis Manuel Flores - although there is a strong possibility the Mexicans may replace the left-hander who Willinsky had beaten before.
"You'll find out tomorrow," Fernandez said of possible line-up changes.
Burke, on the other hand, has the task of regrouping his squad after yesterday's doubles disaster.
"I'm going to tell the guys the tie is still alive. We are down 2-1 but we could be dead," Burke said. "It's very much alive. From the outset the expectations have been on them (the Mexicans) because they are the favourites and so our guys are feeling good. Ryan is feeling good and so too is Scott.
"Ryan looked great on Friday and Scott pushed their No. 1 (Gallardo Vallez) in the first two sets of their match.
"We're still in it, for sure," he said.
