CECIL MAMIIT opens up the Philippines’ tough campaign in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I second-round relegation tie against Kazakhstan No. 2 Yuri Schukin Friday at The National Tennis Center in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The 32-year-old Mamiit drew Schukin during Thursday’s draw ceremony. Mamiit, ranked 418th in the world, looks to upset Schukin, ranked No. 152 in the world, at11 a.m. Friday (1 p.m. Friday, Manila time) to open up the Filipino Davis Cuppers’ campaign on a positive note.

“We have a very tough opponent,” said Philippine nonplaying team captain Chris Cuarto in a text message. “We will just go all out without pressure and, hopefully, surprise them with a win.”

The winner of the tie stays in Group I while the loser drops to Group II.

Philippine Tennis Association Davis Cup coordinator Randy Villanueva said they hope to pull off a surprise. “If manalo si Cecil, it will really boost the team up,” he said.

One thing going for Mamiit is that Schukin had lost to Danai Udomchoke of Thailand. It could be recalled that Mamiit beat Udomchoke for the singles gold medal in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

After the Mamiit-Schukin match, RP No. 2 Johnny Arcilla faces Kazakhstan No. 1 Andre Gobulev, who is ranked No. 137 in the world and recently changed his nationality from Russian to Kazakh.

“The strategy is ilagay siya sa No. 2 para hopefully, pag i-lineup siya sa doubles, batak na siya at nakapa na niya ang court,” said Villanueva.

Also in the line-up for Kazakhstan is world No. 156 Mikhail Kukushkin and No. 389 Alexey Kedryuk.

In the doubles match set Saturday, Patrick John Tierro and newcomer Yannick Guba takes on Gobulev and Schukin. The tie finishes Sunday with the reversed singles matches with Arcilla facing Schukin and Mamiit taking on Gobulev.

The tie will be played on an indoor clay court which Villanueva said is advantageous to the Kazakhs.

“Puro sila clay court specialist. We expect na mas mahirap na campaign ito compared to Japan because the Kazakhstan team is very different from the previous ties,” said Villanueva.

Both nations faced each other three times in the Davis Cup history with Kazakhstan leading the series, 2-1. The Philippines, though, won its last encounter with Kazakhstan, 3-2, in a first round Group II relegation playoff in 2003.

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