By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE United States of America, with the addition of the husband-wife team of Robert and Michelle Williams, proved once again to be the cream of the crop, beating the Bahamas 4-1 to retain their title in the fourth IC Tennis Tournament.

In the showdown between the two undefeated teams on the final day of competition on Friday at the National Tennis Centre, the USA prevailed with a 4-1 victory over the Bahamas to cart off the Deltic Trophy with 16 points, one ahead of the Bahamas.

Canada clinched third place with a close 3-2 decision over Barbados, which featured Bahamian ‘Ageless Wonder’ Leo Rolle. They both earned eight points. The International team, comprising of players from various other countries including the Bahamas, rounded out the field with the fifth and last place finish with just three points.

“I think we played very well together,” said Robert Williams, who at one was the winningest player at Duke University. “We knew that the Bahamas was going to be tough, but we came here with a team that we felt was capable of pulling it off and we did. We had a number of players who stepped it up and got the job done.”

Williams and his wife, Michelle, played together for the first time outside of the USA where they have dominated a number of doubles competition. But Michele, who held her own at the University of Tennessee, admitted that in coming to the Bahamas for the first time, they didn’t know what to expect.

Holding a 2-1 lead going into their pivotal match, the Williams knocked of Kim O’Kelly and Neil Mactaggart to seal the deal.

“It was a great experience. We’re happy to be here, but flattered that we were a part of the winning team,” she stressed. “Everyone here treated us so great. They are so kind and we are having a fabulous time. The weather is great. It’s windy, but it’s winding down.”

Williams said she just hope that the Bahamas allow them to come out and compete because they love everything about the tournament, especially winning.

Whether they are back or not, team captain John Antonas said they will have to be better prepared.

“We know what we have to do,” Antonas said. “This is a high level of tennis, despite the fact that we are all very old players. They have a much deeper pool with a lot more resources to work with, but we just have to get our best players to come out and compete if we stand a chance at beating them. They are just that good and it showed in their performances.”

Robert Williams and Stuart Chase defeated John Antonas and Guillaume Bouffard 6-2, 6-1; Chum Steel and Don Keenan lost to Neil Mactaggart and Mas Kimball 6-3, 6-1; Michelle Williams and Gabriela Chase def. Sue Kimball and Kim O’Kelly 6-1, 6-3; Michelle and Robert Williams def. Kim O’Kelly and Neil Mactaggart 6-0, 6-1 and Norma Taylor and Stuart Chase def. Sue and Mas Kimball 6-1, 6-3.”I think we went out there and we played our best tennis,” Mactaggart said. “We won all of our matches until we played the United States and they just played better than we did today (Friday). We had fun. We just wished that we would have won, but we gave it our best shot.”

O’Kelly, former multiple women’s national champion, returned home from Philadelphia where she now reside with her husband, said she really wanted to win.

“It’s good to be home. I just wished we could have done better in that last match,” she stated. “But I’m happy, just happy plying again for the Bahamas.”

However, O’Kelly said they have the ability to dethrone the USA,but they have to train.

“We all need to train. We all need to play a lot more,” she pointed out. “The team that we played is made up of national champions, hard court champions and players who go from tournament to tournament to play. We just need to train. I’m going to train. We have to get them next year.”

In securing third place, Canada won over Barbados with the following results posted: Rob Bennyworth and Fraser MacDonald def. Raymonde Forde and Peter Symmonds 6-1, 7-6; Peter Clarke and Owen Pellew def. Leo Rolle and Ian Gentle 6-0, 6-0; Pam Olley and Janice Longhurst lost to Marie Gentle and Julie Salomon 6-2, 4-6, 10-6; Pam Olley and Fraser MacDonald def. Julie Salomon and Peter Symmonds 6-3, 6-1 and Owen Pellew and Margot Thomson def. Marie Gentle and Leo Rolle 2-6, 6-4, 12-10.

During the week, the USA won all of their matches, including a 4-1 win over Barbados, 3-2 over Canada and 5-0 over the International team. Before losing the big one, the Bahamas blanked Canada and Barbados 5-0, but won 4-11 against the International team.

While Canada lost to both the USA and the Bahamas, they won 3-2 over Barbados and the International team. Barbados got their lone victory by beating the International team.

The weeklong tournament comprised of each country playing against each other in two men’s doubles, a ladies doubles and two mixed doubles. The teams with the best combined scores were declared the winners.