The draw for the matches between Lebanon and Jamaica in the Davis Cup competition was held today, Thursday afternoon, at the Lebanese Automobile and Touring Club in Kaslik. The tournament, organized by the Lebanese Tennis Federation, will take place on Friday and Saturday. The draw ceremony was attended by the president of the Lebanese Tennis Federation, Oliver Faisal, the Jamaican counterpart John Azar, board member of the host club Nasib Haddad, international representative Chris Penn (British national), team manager Johnny Abdullah, Lebanese team captain Fadi Youssef, coach Shawn Karam, and players from both teams, along with media representatives.
The Lebanese team, ranked 47th in the International Tennis Federation, includes Benjamin Hassan (ranked 209th worldwide), Hadi Habib (ranked 390th worldwide), Hassan Ibrahim, Mustafa Natour, and Louay Maki. The Jamaican team, ranked 60th worldwide, consists of Blaize Pickenell (ranked 430th worldwide), John Sheen (ranked 1626th worldwide), Roland Phillips (ranked 1778th worldwide), Daniel Azar, and David Goldsmith.
Initially, the international representative delivered a speech discussing all the technical details related to the match between Lebanon and Jamaica, praising the high organization of the Lebanese Tennis Federation and the beautiful sports facilities of the host club. The draw results are as follows:
*Friday, September 15:*
- 12:00 PM - Singles: Benjamin Hassan (Lebanon) vs. Roland Phillips (Jamaica)
- 2:00 PM - Singles: Hadi Habib (Lebanon) vs. Blaize Pickenell (Jamaica)
*Saturday, September 16:*
- 11:00 AM - Doubles: Benjamin Hassan and Hadi Habib (Lebanon) vs. Blaize Pickenell and Roland Phillips (Jamaica)
- 1:00 PM - If necessary: Benjamin Hassan (Lebanon) vs. Blaize Pickenell (Jamaica)
- 3:00 PM - If necessary: Hadi Habib (Lebanon) vs. Roland Phillips (Jamaica)
It is noted that the team that wins three out of five matches will win the encounter and advance towards returning to the first international group. Prior to the draw, there was an introductory meeting between the Lebanese and Jamaican teams. Team manager Johnny Abdullah expressed his hope that the matches would showcase a high level of play and thanked the Lebanese Federation, headed by Oliver Faisal, for trusting him as manager of the Lebanese team and for the federation's significant role in developing tennis in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Jamaica's team captain Milville Spence expressed the delegation's happiness to be in Lebanon amid wonderful atmosphere, wishing that the audience would witness high-quality performances from both teams. Memorabilia gifts were exchanged between Faisal and Azar, as well as between the administrative and technical staff and the players. The official opening ceremony (lasting a maximum of ten minutes) for the match will take place at 12:00 PM on Friday, September 15, at the host club’s main court in Kaslik, followed by the first match.
