Indonesians snatch doubles for 2-1 lead over Philippines

MANILA, Pjilippines—Christopher Rungkat and Elbert Sie reprised their old partnership to salvage the men’s doubles over Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 decision Saturday and lift Indonesia to within a win of  clinching their Davis Cup Asian Zone Group 2 final in Jakarta.

The world-ranked 39th Huey and the six-foot-2 Gonzales took the first set but the Indonesians,  the Southeast Asian Games gold medalists in the men’s doubles last year, raised their level of play starting in the second set of the match that lasted for three and a half hours.

Now with a 2-1 lead, the Indonesians only need to win one of the two reverses singles today to claim a spot in Group 1 next year.

While odds now favor the host country,  the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup remained confident of matching its come-from-behind exploits in 2010 when it beat the Korean team in Seoul by taking the two reverse singles to stay in Group 1.

Huey and Francis Casey Alcantara are expected to see action again today for the Filipinos, who are campaigning in Group 2 for a second consecutive year.

Huey drubbed No. 2 Sie, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3, to give the Philippines a 1-1 tie following a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2,

3-6, 6-0 loss by Alcantara to Rungkat in the opening singles Friday.

The PH team, led by nonplaying captain Roland Kraut, can still opt for changes in today’s lineup just before the matches.

Philippine Davis Cup administrator Randy Villanueva reported that Huey was nursing a painful shoulder following Friday’s match which affected his serves. He gave up a total of four service games in all four sets.

“It was just breaks of the game, we missed on key opportunities especially on the tiebreak of the third set,” said team manager Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“We have to give it to the Indonesians for playing really well, it was a really long doubles match. Hopefully it will take a toll on the two players of Indonesia for tomorrow’s reverse singles since this is going to be their  third match tomorrow.”

The Indonesians, winners of four tennis golds in the SEA Games, beat the Thais in the fifth and final rubber last April to make the Group 2 final against the Philippines, which swept Pacific Oceania and Pakistan to advance. Marc Anthony Reyes