PHL Davis Cup squad to ride on IPTL Manila leg momentum

MANILA, Philippines – The Cebuana Lhullier-Philippine Davis Cup team is calling for the support of the hometown crowd when its plays Sri Lanka for the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group 2 tie from March 6-8 at Valle Verde Country Club.

Team head coach Karl Santamaria on Tuesday said they hope to bank on the interest generated by the successful International Premier Tennis League, which kicked off its maiden leg here in Manila last November.

Grand Slam veteran Treat Huey, who played for the Manila Mavericks along with superstars Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, will be seeing action for the first time since the IPTL.

“I talked to Treat and he said that of all the four legs of the IPTL, the Manila leg was the most successful,” said Santamaria during the weekly PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate. “So we hope it generated that much interest for tennis and people show up. One of our supposed advantage is the hometown crowd.”

The drawing of lots will be held at 10 a.m. March 5 also at Valle Verde which is hosting the Davis Cup for the first time. Opening singles matches on March 6 will begin at 4 p.m. with opening ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Doubles match on March 7 and reverse singles on March 8 will begin at 3 p.m.

Also donning the tricolors for the team are Pepperdine University standout Francis Casey Alcantara, PH No. 1 local PJ Tierro, and Ruben Gonzales who just won an ATP Challenger singles title last week in Mexico. Roland Kraut will serve as non-playing captain.

The Philippines, sponsored by Cebuana Lhuillier, Yonex, Pasig City and the Philippine Sports Commission, has never lost to Sri Lanka in all eight clashes in the past, but Santamaria said they are not taking chances because the Sri Lankans will brandish out a new player in Sharmal Dissanayake.

The 19-year-old Dissanayake, who won ATP points in Sri Lanka this year, didn’t see action when the Philippines scored a 3-1 rout in Colombo.

Santamaria added that they are working on finally going back to elite Group 1 next year, “but we are taking it one tie at a time.”

He added that the Philippines went very close to achieving that last year after beating Sri Lanka. However, the PH Cuppers dropped a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the semifinals.

Sri Lanka team is also composed of Harsahana Godamanna, Dineshkantan Thangarajah and Sankha Atukarale. Non-playing captain is Rohan Silva.

Tickets are priced at P1,000 for a three-day pass, and P500 for a day pass. New Zealand’s David Smith will be the head ITF referee.