Mamiit ties RP's Davis Cup match vs Taiwan

Top Filipino netter Cecil Mamiit outlasted Taiwan’s second ranked player Chen Ti in the second singles as Day 1 of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group I first round playoff ended in a draw on Friday at the Yang Ming Tennis Center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Mamiit, 34, lived up to his billing and used his vast experience to his advantage to make his 26-year-old rival battle for every point in the match for a 3-6, 6-3, 4-1 (retired) decision. The game lasted for two hours and 20 minutes. The 34-year old Mamiit who also is a two-time singles champion in the Southeast Asian Games, Ti could hardly move because of cramps in the sixth game of the third set forcing him to retire and allow the visiting team level the count at 1-all after the first of a three-day match. The host team took a 1-0 lead as Taiwanese No. 1 Yang Tsung-hua, 19, outlasted Filipino-American and RP’s second ranked netter Treat Conrad Huey, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in the match that needed 150 minutes to settle. Both teams enter a crucial doubles match Saturday with Team Philippines choosing the pair of Johnny Arcilla and rookie Fil-Am Ruben Gonzales to face Yang and Yi Chu-huan of host Taiwan. Team captains, however, can replace their players an hour before the scheduled match. Yang and Yi have higher rankings in the doubles compared to the nationals with the former at 162nd and the latter 308th in the world. Only the Gonzales is ranked in the doubles at 639th in the world. The winner in the doubles can wrap up the best-of-five tie in the first reversed singles on Sunday between Mamiit and Yang. The deciding fifth game will be between the country's number two players in Huey and Ti in the last reversed singles. The winner of the tie will remain in Group I for 2011 while the loser will play the loser between Uzbekistan and Korea in the second round playoff from September 17 to 19 to remain in Group I. The loser in the second round playoff will be demoted to Group II next year. Korea plays host to Uzbekistan and they have their work cut out for them as the Uzbeks, led by Denis Istomin and Farrukh Dustov, opened a 2-0 lead after the opening singles. – JVP, GMANews.TV