Huey lifts PH Cuppers past S. Lanka

TREAT Huey. AFP

Treat Huey recovered from a shaky start to turn back Sri Lanka’s No. 1 Harshana Godamanna, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, Sunday as the Philippines clinched the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group 2 first-round tie, 3-1, in Colombo.

The Filipinos thus advanced to the second round in April against either Pakistan or Vietnam which are still battling at press time.

Thrust into the reverse singles after top PH player Ruben Gonzales twisted his knees in Saturday’s pivotal doubles match, Huey needed time to get his rhythm, dropping the opening set before a huge crowd at Sri Lanka Tennis Association hard courts.

Huey, who hasn’t played singles for a long time after focusing on the doubles, fought back from 1-4 in the second set to win five straight games and tie the match.

Known for his cool demeanor, Huey, the world No. 22-ranked doubles player, grabbed the third set at 6-4 and then broke the Sri Lankan right in the first game of the fourth.

He bucked three break points in the next game that featured rallies of more than 20 shots. Huey broke Godamanna again to go up, 3-0, before coasting to a 6-4 victory.

The Filipinos, who narrowly lost the Group 1 promotional tie against New Zealand last September, were led by team manager Jean Henri Lhuillier and Davis Cup administrator Randy Villanueva.

The fifth and final match was not played according to new rules.

Huey and Gonzales crushed Godamanna and Rajeev Rajapakse, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1, in Saturday’s doubles as the Philippines took a 2-1 lead.

Godamanna hacked out a 6-3, 6-7 (10-8), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Patrick John Tierro in the first of Friday’s opening singles but Gonzales squared the tie with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 rout of Thangarajah Dinesh-kanthan.