Mamiit, Treat yield to young Koreans

MANILA, Philippines - South Korea dug a deep 0-2 hole for the Philippines yesterday by winning the opening singles of their Asia Oceania Zone Group 1 Davis Cup tie at the Chanwon Municipal Tennis Courts in Changwong, South Korea.

Cecil Mamiit and Treat Huey, the top two netters from the Philippines, bowed to their younger and less experienced opponents as the Philippines faced the daunting task of sweeping the last three matches to prevail.

Otherwise, the Philippine team, backed by Cebuana Lhuillier, slides back to Group 2 of the Davis Cup.

Mamiit, 34, lost to Jeong Suk-Young despite winning the first two sets, 0-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, in the second singles match on opening day. The RP ace said he strained his right hand in the seventh game of the third set.

Randy Villanueva, vice president of the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association, said Mamiit vowed to return for today’s doubles with Huey.

Mamiit was favored against Jeong, being the more experienced player. The South Korean No. 2 was only five years old when Mamiit won the first of his seven ITF titles in Aptos, California in July of 1998.

Huey, 25, failed to cash in on his experience as Lim, only 19 but South Korea’s top player, displayed better form when it mattered most, 7-6 (10-8), 2-6, 6-7 (7-9) 6-7 (4-7).

Huey took the opening set of the three-hour 50-minute match via tiebreak, then slowed down in the second, and lost, 2-6. In the third set, the Filipino No. 2 took a 6-4 lead in the tiebreak only to falter.

Lim also trailed in the early part of the final set, 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4. Then again, he rose to the occasion, breaking Huey in the eighth game and wearing down his opponent the rest of the way, winning 7-6 (7-4).

The Philippines is battling history in this tie, having failed to get past Korea in their last five Davis Cup tie. The Koreans are currently ahead in the heads-on count, 5-3, and may be too hard to stop at home.

Felicisimo “Mighty Mite” Ampon, at five feet, was at the helm of the Philippine Davis Cup team that won over its Korean counterpart for three times, the last one coming way, way back in 1967.