Xavier Lawrence may have given himself the best present yet.
The birthday boy appears to be on the brink of Davis Cup selection after Seanon Williams all but threw in the towel during yesterday’s Top 8 Invitational final at the National Tennis Centre.
Taking stadium court in front captain Damien Applewhaite, Lawrence made a strong case by capping the unofficial Davis Cup trials with a 6-4, 6-4 straight-sets victory over the more seasoned veteran.
It couldn’t have been a more fitting birthday and Christmas gift for the Prairie View sophomore who turned 19 just hours after breaking through with his biggest triumph to date.
‘Feels good’
“I don’t know if I’ve done enough [to make the team] because I think I have a lot of improving to do but it feels good all the same because the last Top 8 I didn’t get to perform as I would’ve liked so I’m glad I got to come back this time and make a better impression,” said Lawrence.
“I always wanted to make the Davis Cup team from when I was young. I even wanted to do it before I turned 18. Representing your country means the most to anyone.”
Williams did manage to mar the occasion though, giving up midway through the second set after being frustrated at the time Lawrence was taking between points.
At one point Lawrence spent 40 seconds before he was ready to receive serve all while Williams sat on his racquet head waiting on the college player.
Visibly and audibly frustrated, Williams simply sliced every ball back in play late in the second set while giving minimum effort to cover the baseline.
He even put one in play underhanded while serving to stay in the match before angrily launching his second serve into the air on match point.
It was the unfortunate finish to a previously entertaining seesaw contest that featured a lot of big hitting.
Lawrence cracked first though, mishitting three straight routine forehands to lose serve for 2-1.
But he broke right back after Williams went wide on two forehands of his own following a double fault.
And Lawrence broke again for 5-3 after brilliantly tracking down a ball and forcing Williams into an errant volley.
However, the talented teen choked while serving for the set, handing the break back after miscuing another forehand and an equally easy volley.
Williams didn’t capitalise though, and meekly handed over the set by dumping a subsequent slice and volley in the bottom of the net.
Yet he seemingly got back in the match by breaking Lawrence to start the second set en route to taking a quick 2-0 lead on a big forehand passing shot.
But Lawrence’s lethargy between points eventually got the better of Williams and he subsequently got broken at love for 2-2.
Lawrence also lost serve at love in the very next game only to watch a visibly-upset Williams give the break back on a double fault.
Earlier, Richmond University lefty Kiana Marshall capped her unbeaten run in the women’s Top 6 by beating fast-rising teen Hannah Chambers 6-2, 6-2.
Chambers gave a good account of herself but went down an early break after double-faulting for 1-3.
Marshall then broke again on two wayward Chambers groundstrokes when the promising junior was serving to stay in the set down 2-5.
The two traded early holds in the second set before the seasoned southpaw to control of the match with an inside-out winner to break for 3-1.
It was a near mirror image of the first set as Marshall broke again at 5-2 to win the match. (JM)
