Lebanon will begin its quest to return to the first group of the world elite in the Davis Cup when it faces Jamaica on September 15 and 16, at the main court of the Lebanese Automobile and Touring Club in Kaslik, under the supervision of the International Tennis Federation. After Lebanon successfully defeated Monaco last September following a series of marathon matches, the country lost to Ukraine on Polish soil last winter, resulting in a drop to the second world group.
In this context, the Lebanese Tennis Federation, led by Oliver Faisal, has launched administrative and technical preparations for the match between Lebanon (ranked 47th in the world) and Jamaica (ranked 60th in the world), under the patronage of the Minister of Youth and Sport Dr. George Kallas, with eyes set on victory and taking the first step towards returning to the elite ranks, which is the natural place for Lebanese tennis.
The Federation has established a preparatory program for the players in coordination with team captain and coach Fadi Youssef (a former international player who represented Lebanon in the Davis Cup for several years), who has been technically overseeing the Lebanese Davis Cup team for the past six years. The Federation appointed coach Johnny Abdallah as the manager of the Lebanese team.
The Lebanese team consists of players Benjamin Hassan (ranked 200th in the world), Hadi Habib (ranked 411th in the world), Hassan Ibrahim, Mustafa Nator, Louay Maki, and player Zohair Farhat. Benjamin Hassan, Hadi Habib, and Hassan Ibrahim are participating in tournaments abroad and are in high technical readiness due to their regular match play, while Nator, Maki, and Farhat are training on the Salsali courts, which are not preferred by Jamaican players, unlike Lebanese players, under the supervision of coach Youssef.
The lineup of Lebanese players will be finalized ten days before the match against Jamaica. Additionally, the Lebanese Tennis Federation will hold a press conference on Wednesday, September 13, at the host club, with the timing to be determined later. The draw will take place on Thursday, August 14, at the host club, also with timing to be determined later.
