Jamaica will begin their 2005 Davis Cup campaign against the Dominican Republic next Friday at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston.

The Davis Cup has been likened to football's World Cup and is a team knock-out tournament played over the course of a year.

The cup was named after American Dwight Davis as a challenge match between the USA and Great Britain, the first match being played in 1900.

Today, the Davis Cup is made up of four main groups - the elite World Group (consisting of 16 teams), the American, Asia/Oceania and Europe/Africa Groups, the last three groups consisting of four separate groups of teams. Each team can gain promotion or relegation from their respective groups; the aim being to make it to the World Group. Only teams in this group can actually win the Davis Cup.

Matches or ties are played over three days. Each team can have up to four players, but not all of them need to be used. There are two singles matches on the first day, a doubles match on the second and two more singles matches on the third day.

Jamaica currently plays in American Zone Group 2 after gaining promotion from Group 3 in 2003 when they topped the Group. The winning team over three rounds will be promoted to Group 1 in 2006. The teams that lose their first-round ties will play off against each other and two teams will be relegated to Group 3 in 2006. Jamaica has never been beyond Group 2 since 1988 when they first began playing Davis Cup.

Promotion to Group 1 is going to prove a tall order with the likes of Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay in their group, as well as a tough first-round assignment against last year's Group 2 runners-up, Dominican Republic.

On paper, this tie is certainly "winnable" with two of the Dominican Republic's Victor Estrella and Johnson Garcia's current world rankings being 1470 and 1352, respectively. But there is no room for complacency and Jamaica will have to be at their best to turn over its Spanish-speaking rivals.
If last year's battle with group winners Mexico is anything to go by, this year's encounter with the Dominican Republic should be memorable, with Jamaica expected to field a stronger team this time around.

Below, we profile some of the key players of the Jamaica Davis Cup team over the years.

Ryan Russell

The leader of the pack with more Davis Cup singles wins than any other player, at only 21 he is likely to be Jamaica's most experienced and successful Davis Cup team member. The left-hander from Montego Bay will require all his Davis Cup pedigree to lead Jamaica to victory in this first round match-up.

Age: 21
World ranking: 907
Davis Cup ties: 26
Win/Loss: 18-8

Dustin Brown

The tall, talented youngster from Montego Bay is unlikely to be amongst the members of the 2005 squad. Refusing to play for Jamaica because of disagreements with the Jamaican Tennis Federation, the big serving Brown whose highest world ranking was 513 will sorely be missed for this crucial encounter.

Age: 20
World ranking: 942
Davis Cup ties: 8
Win/Loss: 7-1

Damar Johnson

21 year-old Johnson, another bright prospect from St Ann with three years' Davis Cup playing experience under his belt. The University of Louisville scholarship awardee should add some aggression and fitness to Jamaica's play if selected in either singles or doubles.

Age: 21
World ranking: N/A
Davis Cup ties: 8
Win/Loss: 5-3

Scott Willinsky

Veteran Willinsky has had some measure of success on the futures and satellite circuits and along with Brown and Russell make up the only three Jamaicans currently with world rankings.

Age: 30
World ranking: 1349
Davis Cup ties: 28
Win/Loss: 15-13

Jermaine Smith

Reliable Smith from St Ann has played more Davis Cup ties than anyone else, the 1997 Central American & Caribbean 18 & under champion could prove a safe pair of hands in the doubles after partnering Russell to a 6-2 7-6 (1) 6-1 victory against Puerto Rico to keep Jamaica in Group II in 2004.

Age: 26
World ranking: N/A
Davis Cup ties: 36
Win/Loss: 16-20

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