DR ‹ › Morocco's hopes of reaching World Group I of the Davis Cup were dashed on Sunday in Casablanca. Facing Colombia on the clay courts of the USM Tennis Club, Hicham Arazi's team needed two wins to stay in contention. They came up short. Colombia took control early in the day. In the doubles match, Juan Sebastián Gómez and Nicolás Barrientos edged past Karim Bennani and Younes Lalami Laaroussi in a tightly contested encounter, winning both sets in tie-breaks (7–6, 7–6). It was a frustrating loss for the Moroccans, who put in a solid performance but faltered at key moments. The tie was decided in the ensuing singles match. Reda Bennani fell to Nicolás Mejía in three sets (6–1, 2–6, 6–4), sealing a 3–1 victory for Colombia in the playoff. After a one-sided opening set, the young Moroccan fought back to level the match before giving way in the decider. Fatigue and experience ultimately tipped the balance in favor of Mejía, ranked 177th in the world. The match ended amid heightened tension. Following his victory, Mejía celebrated by placing a finger to his lips, a gesture perceived as provocative by the Moroccan bench. Verbal exchanges followed between the two teams before the situation escalated in the stands, where bottles were thrown toward the Colombian players. A turbulent ending to a Davis Cup weekend that brings Morocco's ambitions to a close.
