Taym Alazmeh Leads Syria to Historic Davis Cup Upset Over Ireland
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State junior Taym Alazmeh just etched his name into Syrian tennis history.
Representing Team Syria at the Davis Cup this past weekend in Limerick, Ireland, Alazmeh helped engineer one of the biggest wins the program has ever seen - a dramatic 3-2 upset over host nation Ireland in the opening round of World Group II play.
Let’s set the stage: Syria came into the weekend ranked No. 72 in the Davis Cup standings, facing off against a higher-seeded Ireland squad sitting at No. 50.
On paper, it looked like a tough ask. But on the court?
Syria, led by Alazmeh, flipped the script.
Alazmeh pulled double duty for his country, suiting up for both doubles and singles play - and delivering clutch performances in both.
In doubles, he teamed up with Hazem Naw to take on Ireland’s Charles Barry and Conor Gannon. The match was a rollercoaster.
After dropping the first set 1-6, the Syrian duo regrouped, adjusted, and rallied. They stormed back to take the second set 6-3, then edged out a nail-biting third-set tiebreak to seal the win.
That point gave Syria early momentum - and belief.
But Alazmeh wasn’t done.
With the tie knotted up and everything on the line, the junior from Michigan State stepped into singles action against Ireland’s Michael Agwi. And he delivered under pressure. Alazmeh played with confidence and control, taking the match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4 - a performance that clinched the decisive third point and the match for Team Syria.
For a program that’s rarely made headlines on the international tennis stage, this win is monumental. It’s the biggest Davis Cup moment in Syrian tennis history, and Alazmeh was right at the heart of it.
Currently ranked No. 954 in singles and No. 1120 in doubles, Alazmeh may not be a household name in the tennis world just yet. But this weekend, he played like a veteran - poised, fearless, and clutch when it mattered most.
Syria now advances to the next round of World Group II play, scheduled for September. And while the road ahead won’t be easy, one thing is clear: with Taym Alazmeh leading the charge, Team Syria isn’t just showing up - they’re making noise.