RP Cuppers yield to Uzbeks

Dennis Istomin proved too tall, too strong and too good for Cecil Mamiit yesterday, pounding out a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 win that sealed Uzbekistan’s victory over the Philippines in their Group 1 Davis Cup tie.

Istomin broke Mamiit’s serve seven times during the one-hour, 55-minute contest that could have ended a lot sooner if not for the Filipino’s big fighting heart and a number of spectacular plays of his own.

Even when he was two sets down, and trailing 3-4 in the third, Mamiit yelled at himself after belting out his second of three aces for the match. Then he turned to the crowd, egging them on to cheer louder.

However, that proved to be the last big spurt from Mamiit as Istomin took a 5-3 lead then dropped the next game before serving for the match, and the clinching win in the best-of-five tie.

Istomin went 15-love with an overhead smash, 30-love with a forehand winner and 40-love with a volley. The player, ranked No. 156 in the world, won the match when Mamiit netted a forehand return.

It gave Uzbekistan an unbeatable 3-1 lead over the Philippines. Later on, Erik Taino played Vaju Uzakov in a non-bearing contest, and won, 6-4, 6-4, as the hosts narrowed the gap to 3-2 in the end.

Istomin, who taunted the crowd at times, flashed the No. 1 sign as he raced to the net to shake hands with Mamiit. It also meant that Uzbekistan stays in Group 1 of the Asia/Oceania zone in Davis Cup action.

The Philippines, in Group 1 for the first time in so many years, also lost to Japan, 5-0, recently. It will face the loser in the ongoing Kazakhstan-Taipei tie in September, with the winner staying in Group 1.

“He had answers for everything. I tried everything. I tried to be patient, I tried to be on the baseline, I tried to be aggressive, I tried to fight, I tried everything I could,” said Mamiit, grunting during the match.

“But that’s the way it goes. Even in the end I still thought we had a chance. I felt I fought hard. I did it for our country. I did it for the fans,” said Mamiit, who drew cheers from the PCA crowd.

He said all’s not lost despite two straight losses to Japan and Uzbekistan.

“We have another match against either Taipei or Kazakhstan. I hope we can have enough preparation for that match,” said Mamiit, who flies back to the US soon to keep himself going.

“There are pro tournaments. My ranking now is 500 (actually 522) and my goal is to make it to the top 100 again. With a full schedule I think I can play better than this,” said Mamiit, who was No. 72 in the world in 1999.

He said he’s willing to represent the country in the 2009 SEA Games in Laos.

The Philippines split the reverse singles last Friday, with Mamiit beating Farrukh Gustov via retirement, and PJ Tierro losing to Istomin. Then Mamiit and Taino lost to Gustov and Istomin in the doubles.

It was a tight one, and the final result could have been different if the Philippines won the doubles match the other day.

“The doubles match could have been the key. It was a tough break considering how close it was. But you can’t look back and back. You have to keep building and building,” said Mamiit.