Apart from the crowd support, the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup team needs to play with fire and passion to end its losing run to Indonesia when the two teams collide in the Asia Oceania Group II first-round tie starting tomorrow at the Philippine Columbian Association shell-clay court.
The PH Cuppers lost to the Indons (3-2) in 2012 and (4-1) in 2000, and despite the expected crowd support, non playing team captain Karl Santamaria believes they are still facing a tall order.
“We have great respect for them but the fact remains that we haven’t beaten them the last few ties,” said Santamaria ahead of Thursday’s draw ceremony that decides who plays whom.
The last time the PH team won over an Indonesian team was during the 1999 Group 2 tie held in Jakarta where Bryan Juinio and Joseph Lizardo led the Filipinos to a 4-1 victory.
Grand Slam doubles veteran Treat Huey banners the squad composed of Ruben Gonzales, Francis Casey Alcantara, and AJ Lim.
Though Lim is a rookie in the team, the country’s top junior player is toughened by numerous international stints.
Huey boasts of a world doubles ranking of No. 22, while Gonzales, Alcantara and Lim have been actively participating in the International Tennis Federation circuit.
They will be facing a young squad composed of David and Anthony Susanto, Aditya Hari Sasongko, and Sunu-WahyuTrijati.
Surprisingly absent in the lineup was its veteran player Christopher Rungkat.
Draw ceremonies is set today at 10 a.m. to determine the schedule of play for the first and second singles matches tomorrow, which will start at 3 p.m.
Doubles match will be on Saturday at 2 p.m., while the reverse singles matches will be on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
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