TennisJAMES McGEE pulled off one of Ireland's greatest Davis Cup escapes in Cairo's 40 degree heat over the weekend. After play was suspended on Sunday evening due to bad light, which forced the relegation tie into a fourth day of play, McGee finally won his match in the fifth set of the fifth rubber to secure Group II status for Ireland in the Davis Cup for 2013.

McGee went into yesterday morning’s unfinished match leading by two sets to one against the Egyptian number two, Sherif Sabry. But Sabry broke McGee to love in the eighth game to win the set 6-3 and force the tie into a decisive fifth set.

McGee made the first move and broke Sabry at 4-2 and at 5-2 had a match point, which the Egyptian saved. Sabry held his serve to stay in the match for 5-3, then broke the Irishman for 5-4. McGee went on to earn two match points in the final game on Sabry’s serve and took the second of them and the tie for Ireland 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.