The Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup team suffered a big blow after Chinese Taipei’s top player Ti Chen edged Ruben Gonzales, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, Friday night in the first of the opening singles at Philippine Columbian Association shell courts.
Chen, ranked No. 226 in singles and 140th in doubles, was in superb form even in over-hot conditions and on the slippery shell court surface to give the Taiwanese a 1-0 edge in the Asia/Oceania Group 2 semifinal tie.