MANILA, Philippines - Fresh from its sweep of Sri Lanka in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group II tie, Team Philippines steps up its drive to reclaim its spot in Group I as it clashes with a tough Chinese Taipei side on 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 moments after the Filipinos fashioned out a 3-0 victory over the Sri Lankans at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City over the weekend.
Fil-Am Treat Conrad Huey and US-based Francis Casey Alcantara turned back Sharmal Dissanayake and Dineshkanthan Thangarajah, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, in the doubles to wrap up their tie.
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, late Friday to give the Phl a 2-0 lead in the series.
Kraut said the sweep should give the team, whose Davis Cup campaign is bankrolled by Cebuana Lhuillier and the Philippine Sports Commission, the needed boost when it faces Chinese Taipei, a team the former beat in their first four meetings but lost the last 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 are also raring to put one over the Taiwanese, who they last hurdled 16 years ago via a 3-2 decision.
“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 coach Karl Sta. Maria.
Chinese Taipei actually matched the Philippines’ domination of Sri Lanka as it likewise fashioned out a lopsided win over Lebanon in their side of the tie.
“They (Chinese Taipei) are always a tough opponent,” said Huey, member of the two teams that lost to Taipei in 2010 in Kaohsiung and in Cebu the following year.
“For us to beat them, we need to be mentally and physically prepared,” he added.
Yesterday’s reverse singles, pitting Huey against Dissanayake and Alcantara versus Godamanna, have been rendered non-bearing following the Filipinos’ victories in the first two days.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic spurred Serbia to a 3-0 win over neighbor Croatia in the first round of the Davis Cup on Saturday and it will be joined in the quarterfinals by an equally rampant France.
Britain’s progress was put on hold after it lost an enthralling doubles to the US on Saturday.
Holder Switzerland, missing Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, fell behind 2-1 at Belgium while the Czech Republic hauled itself back against Australia.