Home crowd gives RP team boost vs Pakistan

MANILA, Philippines - The RP Davis Cup team is again banking on the hometown crowd and the slow surface of the Philippine Columbian Association tennis court when it takes on a tough Pakistan side in its Asia Oceania Group II tie this weekend.

“As host, we should take advantage of all these factors especially since we are up against a very good team in Pakistan,” said RP Davis Cup team coordinator Randy Villanueva.

Led by back-to-back Southeast Asian Games gold medal winner Cecil Mamiit, the Filipino Cuppers battle the Pakistanis in the best-of-five tie from July 10-12 at the shell courts of the PCA.

“I think playing in a slow court like the shell surface gives us due advantage because Pakistan likes to play in fast courts,” non-playing team captain Chris Cuarto said.

“And of course, we’re asking our countrymen to please support our team by watching the Davis Cup matches. Crowd support will definitely boost the morale of our players.”

Others comprising the RP squad are Treat Conrad Huey, junior standout Francis Casey Alcantara and Patrick John Tierro – the same cast that scored an emphatic 4-1 win over Hong Kong last March.

Comprising the Pakistan team are Aisam Qureshi, Ageel Khan, Jalil Khan and Yasir Khan.

The Pakistanis arrived in the country as early as last week to get themselves acclimatized to both the weather and playing court.

Cuarto, appearing with Villanueva in the weekly PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch yesterday, admitted Pakistan is a tough team to deal with as it boosts players who are ranked 200 (Aisam) and 700 (Ageel) in the world today.

“Actually this is the toughest tie for us,” said Cuarto.

But Villanueva has so much confidence in the Filipino netters that he believes the host will be able to hurdle the Pakistanis.

“My fearless forecast, we should win 3-2 over Pakistan,” the RP Davis Cup official declared in the session sponsored by Accel, Shakey’s, the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Outlast Battery.

“I think this is one of the most prepared Davis Cup team in recent years,” said Villanueva, noting that all team members continued to play and stay in shape shortly after their victory over Hong Kong four months ago.

Both Mamiit and Huey played in tournaments within the US circuit, Alcantara just saw action in Wimbledon and other European meets, while Tierro competed in two events in Malaysia recently.

“Preparation-wise, I think we’re ok,” Tierro said.

A victory over Pakistan would set up the Filipinos in a showdown with the winner of the Indonesia-New Zealand duel for the promotional tie in Group 1.

The Philippines blasted Pakistan, 4-1, in their last Davis Cup meeting in 2007 also at the PCA court.

This year’s tie was originally set in Pakistan, but for security reasons, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) granted the request of the Philippines to move the matches here.