Sensing an opportunity to steal a Davis Cup victory in Taiwan, the Philippines opted to play their top singles players in yesterday’s doubles and the gambit almost paid off.
With the best-of-five Asia/Oceania Group I playoff tie knotted at 1-1 after the opening day’s singles in Kaohsiung, the Philippines paired veterans Cecil Mamiit and Trent Huey in yesterday’s pivotal doubles instead of Johnny Arcilla and Ruben Gonzales as planned.
However, Taiwan’s duo of Yang Tsung-hua and Yi Chu-huan, who have played well together when given the opportunity, outlasted their more experienced foes 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (8/6) in three and a half hours to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
If Taiwan win either of today’s reverse singles they will clinch the encounter and avoid having to play another match against either South Korea or Uzbekistan for relegation to Asia/Oceania Group II.
Yang will likely face Mamiit in the opening singles of the day, but it is not clear who Taiwan would send out if Yang were to lose and the tie came down to the final match.
Taiwan’s No. 2 player Chen Ti was forced to pull out of his singles match against Mamiit on Friday with the score tied at a set apiece after he hurt his thigh.
Taiwan have been in Asia/Oceania Group I since 2004 and by staying in the group, they would give themselves another opportunity to qualify for a shot at the World Group — the highest echelon of the Davis Cup — next year.
Without the presence of Wimbledon quarter-finalist Lu Yen-hsun, Taiwan were whitewashed 5-0 by Australia in the first round of group play in March, consigning them to the relegation playoffs.
Earlier, holders Spain were on the brink of elimination in the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Friday after France won both the opening singles in Clermont-Ferrand.
Without world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, resting his knees after his French Open and Wimbledon triumphs, Spain slipped behind when Gael Monfils beat David Ferrer 7-6, 6-2, 4-6, 5-7, 6-4, before Michael Llodra saw off Fernando Verdasco 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.
Spain are going for a hat-trick of titles, but will have to win the doubles and both reverse singles to stay in the competition.
“We lead 2-0, but it’s not over yet. We have one point left to grab, but this point will probably be the most difficult one to get,” Llodra told reporters after his win.
Spanish captain Albert Costa admitted nothing had gone his side’s way, but he was not giving up just yet.
“Of course, it has been a bad day. I don’t have many regrets, as my players gave everything they had,” he said. “We only have a slim chance of winning and we’ll try to get one point after another. As long as there is life, there is hope.”
Russia and Argentina, the winners of whom will face either France or Spain in the semi-finals, were locked at 1-1 after the opening singles in Moscow.
David Nalbandian, whose ranking has plummeted into the 150s after injury problems, gave Argentina a superb start with a 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 defeat over Nikolay Davydenko, before Mikhail Youzhny outclassed Leonardo Mayer 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours, six minutes.
“We both didn’t play our best, but I won and it was the most important thing,” said Nalbandian, who has been troubled with hip and leg injuries. “We made a lot of mistakes today, but physically I felt fine. If the match went into a fourth or even a fifth set, I think I would have played with the same intensity.”
Davydenko, who lost both tiebreaks after letting 5-2 and 6-4 leads slip away, was left to rue missed chances.
“I don’t have a lot of confidence because I didn’t play a lot of matches this year,” said the world No. 6, who is also on the comeback trail after missing nearly three months with a wrist injury.
In the bottom half of the draw, the Czech Republic, without their two best players in Radek Stepanek and Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych, enjoyed a sensational opening day against Chile, racing into a 2-0 lead in Coquimbo.
Ivo Minar dropped just five games against Nicolas Massu, before Jan Hajek thrashed Paul Capdeville 6-0, 6-2, 6-1.
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic gave Serbia a solid start against regional rivals Croatia in Split, beating Ivan Ljubicic 7-6, 6-4, 6-1, before Marin Cilic hit back for the hosts with a comfortable victory against Viktor Troicki.
“The first set was really tough, plus it’s never easy to play away from home, but I managed to convert my break chances and seize control over the match,” Djokovic told reporters.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was