Advantage, Team Japan

LAPU LAPU CITY, Philippines  – Defeat came in two different routes for the Philippines – a five-hour ordeal and a straight set setback as Japan swept the singles matches to send the hosts to the brink of elimination in their Asia-Oceania Zone Davis Cup Group I tie at the Plantation Bay Resorts and Spa here yesterday.

Cecil Mamiit squandred a 4-0 lead in the deciding fifth set and lost a grueling encounter with Japan’s No. 2 Tatsuma Ito, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (3), 9-7, in a match that lasted more than five and a half hours – one of the longest in Davis Cup history.

Johnny Arcilla, tapped as a last-minute replacement to Treat Huey, dropped a 3-6, 3-6, 3-6 decision to Go Soeda in a pair of losses that gave Japan a commanding 2-0 lead and a win away from extending its domination of the Filipinos.

“I’m deeply sorry for the result but I felt we played great in most part and I feel I gave a good fight,” said Mamiit, who waved to the crowd, shook hands with Ito, removed his shirt and shoes then jumped into the nearby pool of this posh resort.

Cheered on by the home crowd, the 34-year-old Mamiit blew hot and cold and then hot again before succumbing to fatigue and the power of his 22-year-old rival, yielding the match with a double-fault.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable, it pushed me to fight back when I was down in the fourth set. I was really in a tough situation but I got the groove.

“It’s unfortunate though that I couldn’t finish him off and Ito picked up his game by going straight for it while I kind of pushed it that’s why I committed that double fault for the last point,” said Mamiit.

Arcilla, who impressed the coaching staff in practice to gain the starting spot, gave it his all but didn’t have the answer to the heavily favored, world-ranked Japan’s No. 1’s superb shotmaking and power.

“I gave it my best, tried to win it for the country,” said the 30-year-old Arcilla.

The pair of losses left the Filipinos with no other choice but to sweep the last three matches, including today’s doubles match that would pit Mamiit and Huey against doubles specialists Takao Suzuki and Hiroki Kondo, who replaced Yuichi Sugita in Thursday’s official drawing of lots at the Lapu Lapu City Hall.

The Phl actually nominated Arcilla and Elbert Anasta to play in the doubles but could make a line-up change an hour before the 12 noon match by opting for the Mamiit-Huey tandem in a desperate bid to live another day.

The reverse singles are set Sunday.

“We’re going for it because I feel this is just the first day and we guarantee you that this tie is far from over,” said Mamiit.

The Filipinos rallied from 0-2 down to pull off a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over the South Koreans in South Korea last year that put the Philippines back into the Group I alongside Japan, New Zealand and Uzbekistan.

The winner of this tie goes on to play the winner between the New Zealand-Uzbekistan tie, also held simultaneously with the Japan-Phl tie. The Uzbeks also swept the first singles matches.

For the record, the two losses were the Filipinos’ 16th and 17th to the Japanese, who beat the former in 15 straight matches spread through three consecutive ties that was capped by a 5-0 rout in Osaka a year ago.

It was a match to remember though for Mamiit and the fans here who braved the scorching heat in a match that proved as one of the longest in the history of the Cup.

“It was definitely one of the longest matches in Davis Cup history and although it’s unfortunate it didn’t go our way, I’m proud with Mamiit and the country for that gallant effort,” said long-time RP tennis director Ajhay Pathak.

Mamiit, who has never won a single match against the Japanese in six years with the team, rebounded from a first set loss, 4-6, clawing his way back to draw level with a pulsating win in the tiebreaker where he rallied from 2-4 down to win it, 7-5.