Abadia allays fears of RP demotion

Adelo Abadia hacked out the most memorable victory of his career yesterday as he fashioned out a straight-set demolition of Kuwait’s Mossad Al Jazzaf at the PCA indoor court, keeping the Philippines in Group II competition of the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Zone.

Playing the biggest game of his life, Abadia gamely took the challenge, thrashing Al Jazzaf, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, to salvage a 3-2 win for the Philippines over Kuwait in their playoff.

The opportunity for Abadia to be the man of the hour for the Philippines came after compatriot Johnny Arcilla was vanquished by Mohammad Al Gahreeb, 0-6, 3-6, 2-6, in the first reverse singles.

"Ito ang pinakahihintay kong sandali. At pasalamat ako sa Itaas, nakuha ko," said Abadia after playing the hero’s role for the RP Davis Cuppers.

With Al Jazzaf hitting his return long for the match point, RP non-playing team captain Johnny Jose and players Arcilla, Joseph Victorino and Michael Mora III rushed to the court to give Abadia the victory ride while the local crowd erupted in frenzied celebration in the gallery.

The victory saved the team from relegation to Group III play. It will be the Kuwaitis who will figure in Group III action some time in February next year.

"Before the last two singles, I expected we would win both. But Al Gahreeb played well today," said Jose. "Before Adelo entered the court, I thought we had the advantage because the experience was on our side."

Indeed, it became a case of experience prevailing over youth with Abadia, 25 and in his fourth year in the RP Davis Cup team, simply showing so much class against Al Jazzaf, only 17 and only in his second Davis Cup competition.

It was Abadia’s first win in Davis Cup Group II play with his previous victories only coming in the round-robin Group III action. Displaying a solid baseline stand, Abadia held all his serves while breaking his rival in seven games in scoring the victory in only a little over three hours.

"Malakas iyung backhand niya pero walang pasensya, so nagtiyaga na lang ako sa balikan," said Abadia, who’s actually in only his second major competition after taking a five-month break from the game last year.

Gaining a morale boost in his and Arcilla’s victory in the doubles match Saturday, Abadia played with great confidence, yielding only 20 points on his serves.

With his rival already visibly upset in the third set, Abadia made some net attacks, sending the crowd up on their feet on his deft volleys.

After holding his serve in the second game of the third set to draw even at 1-1, Abadia pressed his attack, winning the next five games to clinch the match and the playoff.

Al Jazzaf cried unabashedly after the loss.