Huey avenges Mamiit defeat, squares

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines—Working behind a big serve and attacking the net with ferocity, Treat Huey dominated Jimmy Wang to avenge Cecil Mamiit’s narrow loss to Chen Ti as the Philippines and Chinese Taipei split the opening singles matches, 1-1, Friday at the Plantation Bay Spa and Resort here.

The left-handed Huey showed he’s not just a doubles specialist—he’s ranked 59th in the world—but also a threat in singles as he walloped Wang, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, in the afternoon singles of the Asia Oceania Group 1 relegation tie.

That eased the sting of Chen’s stunning win over Mamiit, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, in a match that lasted almost four hours in the intense heat.

“Last March I only played doubles because of my knees, now I’m trying to make up,” said the 25-year-old Huey, who frustrated Wang with a solid serve-and-volley game at the soft shell court.

“I’m happy that it’s tied at 1-1, and we’re ready to play doubles tomorrow.”

Huey and Mamiit are expected to suit up for Saturday’s doubles, scheduled at high noon, although Jeson Patrombon and Ruben Gonzales had been listed to play against Wang and Yi Chu-huan.

Huey and Mamiit have won five of their seven Davis Cup doubles matches and are on a three-game win run.

“I’m happy with this team. Given the opportunity, Treat shone,” said Mamiit.
Huey attacked all match long, keeping the 389th-ranked Wang on his toes with feathery drop shots as well as nifty backhand volleys.

As expected, the stifling heat exacted a heavy toll on the players. And the 35-year-old Mamiit appeared to have been hit the worst by it as he wasted four set points in the third-set tiebreak.

Mamiit, who had a brief stint as hitting partner for Maria Sharapova, lost his fifth straight singles match in Davis Cup this year. The last time he won was in South Korea last year, when the country preserved its Group 1 berth with a 3-2 squeaker of a victory.

Mamiit was up 6-3 in the tiebreak, but the 27-year-old Ti tied it with a service winner, a forehand that skimmed the net before falling in, and a passing shot.

And as the gallery’s collective heart sank, Chen—the world No. 293 and Taiwan’s No. 1—pushed the sword with two more winners to take a 2-1 set lead.

The playing team captain for the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup team touched off a first-set blitz, going up a break for a 5-3 lead. But as the sun bore down on the shell-clay court of the island’s finest resort, Ti rallied, forcing a tiebreak before yielding, 7-2.