Lebanon took the lead over Jamaica (2-0) on the first day of their Davis Cup tie organized by the Lebanese Tennis Federation at the Lebanese Automobile and Touring Club in Kaslik, under the supervision of the International Tennis Federation, in front of a large audience that filled the stands. Thus, the country of the cedars made a significant step towards securing the match in its favor, as it now needs only one victory from three matches to win the tie definitively and move closer to returning to the elite World Group category.
The matches on Friday, held in hot summer weather, went as hoped by the Lebanese, with Lebanon finishing the day with a perfect score of (2-0) after achieving two significant victories that will provide a high morale boost to the Lebanese players for Saturday's matches under the limitless support of their fans.
In the first match, Benjamin Hassan (ranked 1 in his team and 209th globally) defeated Jamaican Roland Phillips (ranked 2 in his team and 390th globally) in straight sets (7-5, 6-3), showcasing a clear Lebanese advantage in the second set, backed by the Lebanese crowd.
In the second match, Lebanese Hadi Habib (ranked 2 in the Lebanese team and 390th globally) triumphed over Jamaican Blaize Bicknell (ranked 1 in his team and 430th globally) with a score of (7-6, 6-1). In the course of the match, Habib overcame a deficit in the first set (1-4 and 2-5) to claim an exciting victory over his rival (7-6), subsequently dominating the second set and winning it quickly (6-1), amidst loud applause, declaring victory in the match and Lebanon's lead (2-0).
It is worth noting that the Lebanese team (ranked 47th in the International Federation's rankings) includes Benjamin Hassan (ranked 209th globally), Hadi Habib (ranked 390th globally), Hassan Ibrahim, Mustafa Nator, and Louay Maki. The Jamaican team (ranked 60th globally) includes Blaize Bicknell (ranked 430th globally), John Sheen (ranked 1626th globally), Roland Phillips (ranked 1778th globally), Daniel Azar, and David Goldsmith.
**Saturday Schedule:**
- 11:00 AM - Doubles: Benjamin Hassan and Hadi Habib (Lebanon) vs. Blaize Bicknell and Roland Phillips (Jamaica)
- 1:00 PM - If necessary: Benjamin Hassan (Lebanon) vs. Blaize Bicknell (Jamaica)
- 3:00 PM - If necessary: Hadi Habib (Lebanon) vs. Roland Phillips (Jamaica).
**Opening Ceremony:**
Before the matches began, the official opening ceremony took place with the presence of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. George Kallas, who sponsored the sporting event, along with several dignitaries representing various institutions. The event featured a welcoming speech from the ceremony host, Mirna Abu Murad Khoury, a member of the tennis federation, followed by a brief statement from the federation president Oliver Faisal, who expressed confidence in the strength of the Lebanese Davis Cup team and hoped for victory against Jamaica.
Faisal then presented commemorative plaques to Dr. Kallas and lawyer Asaf, and to the chairman of the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, Sheikh Pierre Daher, received by media figure Khaled Mejaess. He also awarded a token of appreciation to the International Tennis Federation representative Chris Ben, head umpire Wael Al-Rifai, umpire Killian Schnabel, and umpire Boshou Ayali. The two teams' players and technical staff entered the venue for the national anthems of Jamaica and Lebanon, followed by introducing the names of the teams.
