RP gives Korea Davis Cup shocker

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines completed an improbable comeback from a 0-2 deficit in its Davis Cup tie with South Korea as it swept the reverse singles yesterday and stayed on track of its world group campaign.

Treat Huey unloaded 21 aces on blistering serves to outgun Jeong Suk-Young, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3, in a pulsating final reverse singles match that sealed the come-from-behind victory for the national team in Changwon, South Korea.

Huey broke the Korean in the 11th game of the first and second sets and in the third game of the third frame to clinch the win and complete the RP team’s sweep of the last three matches after dropping the opening singles Friday.

But it took a lucky win by Cecil Mamiit over Lim Yong-kyu in the first reverse singles match to set the stage for the big RP comeback with the veteran Fil-Am campaigner escaping with a win after Lim retired in the fourth, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 1-1 (Ret.).

The 19-year-old Lim, South Korea’s top player, twisted his ankle in the fateful set and decided to forfeit the match, enabling RP to force a 2-all count before Huey delivered the clincher.

“Our campaign to world group of the Davis Cup is alive again,” said RP team manager Jean Henri Lhuillier. “We really have a good chance to reach world group next year with Kazakhstan out of the Asia Oceania Group 1 competition.

Kazakhstan surprised Switzerland last week and was promoted to world group proper.

Australia and India also gained a chance to reach world group proper with the former leading Belgium, 2-1, in their tie although the latter trails Brazil, 1-2, in their own side of the duel.

The draw for the Davis Cup 2011 will be announced on Wednesday by the International Tennis Federation, according to RP team official Randy Villanueva.

The RP netters stayed alive as Mamiit and Huey turned back Kim Hyun-Joon and Seol Jae-Min, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Mamiit earlier lost to Jeong, 0-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, while Huey lost a marathon match to Lim Yong-Kyu for a 0-2 deficit Friday.

The other members of the squad were Johnny Arcilla and Elbert Anasta.

The Philippines thus closed in on South Korea in their heads-on duel in the David Cup, 4-5.