[TENNIS]

OECS Blues (courtesy oecsathlete.com) 

It seems the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States will remain in American Zone Group IV of the Davis Cup next year, after three consecutive defeats at the Cariari Country Club in Costa Rica.

The most recent loss for the OECS, on Wednesday, came against Bermuda. Janson Bascome, Bermuda's most successful player ever, beat the OECS captain, St. Lucia-born Grenada citizen Glynn James, 6-0 6-2. James Collieson, the most experienced player for Bermuda, defeated 25-year-old St. Kitts-Nevis native Kirtsen Cable 6-1 6-7(5) 6-4, and Cable combined with Deron Grant for a 7-5 6-4 reversal at the hands of Richard Marllory and Jovan Whitter.

Grant, a 21-year-old in just his second year of Davis Cup tennis, is one of two players on the OECS team from St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

The other, Trevor Sam, is 22 years old, and he played just one doubles tie before this year, in 1999.

On Monday, he got his only taste of Davis Cup action in a doubles loss to Panama with his equally young compatriot. The OECS have also fallen to the host nation, Costa Rica.