Daniel Phillips and Trey Mallory earned Bermuda a sensational 2-1 victory over higher-ranked Costa Rica on the opening day of the Davis Cup Americas group three pool A on Wednesday.

Phillips fought from a set down to overcome the home nation’s Christian Winstead 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 in the first singles, a contest which went on for over two hours.

Mallory was bested 6-4, 7-6 by Jesse Flores in the second singles, which left the tie to be decided by the doubles.

The two singles players teamed up in the doubles, where they triumphed over Winstead and Flores 6-2, 7-5 to give Bermuda a winning start.

Bermuda, second in pool A behind Bolivia, will be looking to continue their winning ways when they face Aruba on Thursday. Their opponents lost 3-0 to top seeds Bolivia on the first day of the competition.

Ricky Mallory, the Bermuda captain, was pleased with the great effort from the players.

“The performance against Costa Rica was a true team effort both on and off the court, marked by passion, determination and raw emotion,” he said.

“Bermuda should be immensely proud of these young men and the incredible level of tennis they displayed.

“As a former national No 1 and Davis Cup player now serving as the national tennis director, I’ve had the privilege of coaching the majority of Bermuda’s top national and international tennis talent.

“Without a doubt, Tariq [Simons], Daniel, and Trey rank among the most gifted and exceptional players our island has ever produced. It is truly an honour to be part of their journey and to witness their continued growth in the sport.”

Mallory’s side are looking for a better finish than last year when they secured fourth position in pool B in Paraguay. Bermuda went on to finish sixth overall.