After losing the crucial doubles following the opening day split of the singles matches, the Philippine Davis Cup team needed to fight back to level the score at 2-2 before Treat Huey played Ti Chen in the second reverse singles that would decide the outcome of the Asia Oceania Zone Group 1 playoff at the Yang Ming Tennis Center in Kaohsiung, Chinese-Taipei Sunday.

But it was not to be as the Philippines No.1 Cecil Mamiit lost a grueling five set battle against Tsung Hua Yang 6-2/3-6/2-6/6-3/3-6 in a classic match that lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes.

After the Chinese-Taipei pair of Tsung-Hua Yang and Chu-Huan Yi overcame the gutsy Filipino duo of Mamiit and Huey in four grueling sets that lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes before the hometown tandem prevailed 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), to give them a 2-1 lead going into the final day’s reverse singles, Mamiit realized he had to win for the Filipinos hopes to stay alive but it was not to be.

Chinese-Taipei who had to play at the top of their game to turn back the challenge of Mamiit and Huey saw Philippine delegation head and former junior standout Randy Villanueva commend the Filipinos saying “The boys gave their best, but they just didn’t get the chances.”

With the loss of the doubles the Cebuana Lhuillier RP Davis Cup team faced a must win situation in Sunday’s  first reverse singles which sent Philippine playing captain Mamiit against Yang who overcame Huey on Friday after being stretched to the limit.

Mamiit needed to win to give Huey a chance to clinch the tie against Ti Chen who retired in his singles encounter against Mamiit due to cramps and if Huey who is in great physical shape can pull Ti Chen around the court and wear him down the Philippines could pull it off with a late rally.

Villanueva said the Mamiit-Yang match was “the best Davis Cup match I ever watched while the crowd was amazed with the quality of the game.”

With the tie lost, Johnny Gonzales was set to play the final no-bearing singles.

Popularity: 2% [?]