Chinese Taipei up next for Phl Davis Cuppers

MANILA, Philippines -- Fresh from a quick, merciless victory over Sri Lanka, the Philippines takes the next step towards a return to Group I as it clashes with a fearsome Chinese Taipei side from July 17-19 in Taipei.

"Our main focus now is our next match in July and we have to prepare for it," said Phl non-playing team captain Roland Kraut just moments after the Filipinos cruised to a 3-0 victory over the hapless Sri Lankans at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City.

Fil-Am Treat Conrad Huey and United States-based Francis Casey Alcantara, whose team is being bankrolled by Cebuana Lhuillier and Philippine Sports Commission, overcame the stubborn pair of Sharmal Dissanayake and Dineshkanthan Thangarajah, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, in the doubles Saturday to wrap up their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group II.

Patrick John Tierro, the country’s No. 1 netter, eked out a come-from-behind 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 win over Harshana Godamanna in the first singles match Friday while Fil-Am Ruben Gonzales mowed down Sharmal Dissanayake, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, the same day to give the Phl the needed 2-0 edge.

And then Huey and Alcantara decided to finish it off with a rousing doubles triumph.

Kraut said the win should give the Phl's the needed confidence when it tackles Chinese Taipei, a team the former beat in their first four meetings but lost the two including a heartbreaking 2-3 defeat at the Plantation Bay in Cebu.

"This win over Sri Lanka is a big confidence-booster for the team that we hope to use in our next match," said Kraut.

The Filipinos will also use vengeance as motivation as their last win over the Taiwanese came 16 years ago when the former edged the latter, 3-2.

"It's been a long while since we last beat them so I guess we'll have a chance to end it in July," said Phl caoch Karl Sta. Maria.

Chinese Taipei was as unforgiving as the Phl after it outclassed Lebanon by winning the first singles and the doubles.

They will not waiver against the Filipinos.

"They (Chinese Taipei) are always a tough opponent," said Huey, who was part of the two teams that lost to Taipei in 2010 in Kaohsiung and the next year in Cebu.
"For us to beat them, we need to be mentally and physically prepared," he added.

Yesterday's reverse singles, which was reduced from a best-of-five to a best-of-free, pitting Huey against Dissanayake  and Alcantara versus Godamanna were rendered non-bearing following the Filipinos' exploits in the first two days.

Huey replaced Tierro while Alcantara substituted for Gonzales in the last minute, a luxury allowed all teams.