Filipino bets bounce back, win doubles
DAVIS CUP
By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
March 5, 2011
MANILA, Philippines —The Philippines defeated Japan in doubles Saturday to keep its hopes alive in their Davis Cup tie at the Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Lapu Lapu City, Cebu.
Fil-Americans Cecil Mamiit and Treat Huey downed Hiroki Kondo and Takao Suzuki, 6-1, 7-6 (5), 6-2, in a match marred by a freak accident involving the chair umpire.
Abdelraoof Abdulsalam of Kuwait, going down to verify a call midway through the second set, tripped over and landed hard on the court, hurting his knees in the process. He was carried out in a stretcher to a nearby hospital for examination.
After a 15-minute delay, Korean Cha Hun Im was called in to replace the injured Abdulsalam.
After dropping the first two singles last Friday, the Filipinos called on the experienced tandem of Mamiit and Huey against Kondo and Suzuki, playing together for the first time.
The Filipinos easily dominated the first set, dropping only one game, but found themselves in a big fight in the next set which they won via tiebreaker.
The Japanese challenge fizzled out in the third set which Mamiit and Huey won comfortably.
The victory, the country’s first against Japan since 1996, set up the exciting reverse singles pitting Mamiit against Japanese No. 1 Go Soeda and Huey against Tatsuma Ito starting at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Mamiit sees something positive on the horizon.
“It’s almost a replay on what happened in Korea. I just sensed that it is coming back,” said Mamiit, referring to the team’s 3-2 win over South Korea last September after losing the first two singles.
“This is momentous for us to get a point and get into the scoreboard. I knew one match should turn things around,” he added.
The winner of the tie advances in the next round against either Uzbekistan or New Zealand. Uzbekistan leads, 2-0. The loser drops to a relegation tie with a still unnamed opponent.
On Friday, the Filipinos fell prey to their younger Japanese opponents.
Mamiit, who is turning 35 this year, dropped a marathon five-hour, five-set shootout with the 22-year-old Ito. The final score: 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (3), 9-7.
Johnny Arcilla, subbing for Huey, lost in straight sets to Soeda, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Fil-Americans Cecil Mamiit and Treat Huey downed Hiroki Kondo and Takao Suzuki, 6-1, 7-6 (5), 6-2, in a match marred by a freak accident involving the chair umpire.
Abdelraoof Abdulsalam of Kuwait, going down to verify a call midway through the second set, tripped over and landed hard on the court, hurting his knees in the process. He was carried out in a stretcher to a nearby hospital for examination.
After a 15-minute delay, Korean Cha Hun Im was called in to replace the injured Abdulsalam.
After dropping the first two singles last Friday, the Filipinos called on the experienced tandem of Mamiit and Huey against Kondo and Suzuki, playing together for the first time.
The Filipinos easily dominated the first set, dropping only one game, but found themselves in a big fight in the next set which they won via tiebreaker.
The Japanese challenge fizzled out in the third set which Mamiit and Huey won comfortably.
The victory, the country’s first against Japan since 1996, set up the exciting reverse singles pitting Mamiit against Japanese No. 1 Go Soeda and Huey against Tatsuma Ito starting at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Mamiit sees something positive on the horizon.
“It’s almost a replay on what happened in Korea. I just sensed that it is coming back,” said Mamiit, referring to the team’s 3-2 win over South Korea last September after losing the first two singles.
“This is momentous for us to get a point and get into the scoreboard. I knew one match should turn things around,” he added.
The winner of the tie advances in the next round against either Uzbekistan or New Zealand. Uzbekistan leads, 2-0. The loser drops to a relegation tie with a still unnamed opponent.
On Friday, the Filipinos fell prey to their younger Japanese opponents.
Mamiit, who is turning 35 this year, dropped a marathon five-hour, five-set shootout with the 22-year-old Ito. The final score: 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (3), 9-7.
Johnny Arcilla, subbing for Huey, lost in straight sets to Soeda, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
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