Phillips Heroics Put Bermuda on Level Terms with Georgia
IslandStats.com
A marathon victory for Daniel Phillips and a clinical response from Georgia’s Saba Purtseladze have left Bermuda’s historic Davis Cup World Group II play-off on a knife-edge. Following a three-and-a-half-hour rain delay at the Herodotou Tennis Academy in Cyprus, the opening day concluded with the scores locked at 1–1.
The tie ignited with a match for the ages between Bermuda’s leading light, Daniel Phillips (ranked 1,531st), and the world-ranked 531st Aleksandre Bakshi. In a grueling three-hour and one-minute odyssey, Phillips displayed extraordinary resilience to secure a 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(5) victory.
After dropping the first set, Phillips looked to be in trouble when he trailed 2–0 in the second. However, the young Bermudian fought back to level at 3–3 before a marathon seventh game—which lasted some 15 minutes and saw the advantage flip multiple times—finally went the way of the islander. That momentum carry helped him secure the set and force a decider.
The drama peaked in the third-set tie-break. Despite leading 4–1 earlier in the set, Phillips found himself trailing 5–2 in the breaker. Refusing to buckle, he reeled off five consecutive points to seal the win and put Bermuda 1–0 up in the tie.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Georgia’s top-ranked player, Saba Purtseladze, showcased the quality that has earned him a world ranking of 292nd. Facing Bermudian veteran Wayne Montgomery—a former world-ranked junior making his debut in this historic play-off—Purtseladze took control from the outset.
Montgomery, who earned his spot through high-stakes local trials, was unable to disrupt the Georgian’s rhythm. Purtseladze secured a 6–2, 6–4 victory in just over an hour to level the tie and ensure a tense second day of competition.
Team captain Ricky Mallory said, “Today marked a strong start to the Georgia vs. Bermuda tie. The singles were split, with Daniel grinding out an impressive three set victory, while Wayne gave a tremendous effort but ultimately fell to a very tough opponent.
Daniel deserves special recognition for pulling off a major upset against Georgia’s number two player. He competed with intensity, stayed composed under pressure, and executed our game plan exceptionally well. We made several strategic adjustments throughout the match, and Daniel applied them flawlessly.
Heading into tomorrow’s matches, Bermuda has made it clear that we are not to be taken lightly and this tie is far from over.”
The battle for a place in World Group II resumes tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. local time, with the doubles rubber taking center stage. The established pairing of Daniel Phillips and Trey Mallory will look to regain the lead for Bermuda before the reverse singles get underway.
With everything to play for, Bermuda remains in a prime position to create more history in Larnaca.
