TREAT Huey and Ruben Gonzales gave the home team a ray of hope after beating Jui-Chen Hung and Chieh-fu Wang in the doubles match, 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, to stay alive in their 2016 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group II semifinal tie on Saturday at the Philippine Columbian Association clay courts in Paco, Manila.
After losing the first singles matches, Huey and Gonzales needed to win the encounter, and they did deliver as they displayed a gallant stand against the tough Chinese Taipei pair.
“All of our players are capable in playing doubles. I think the familiarity over the years with Treat was the basis of the decision to put Ruben there,” said nonplaying coach Karl Sta. Maria, as Gonzales surprised everyone when he played instead of Jeson Patrombon.
It was a tight battle in the first set as the Taiwanese pair weathered the surging duo of Huey and Gonzales, barely escaping the slim lead with seven tiebreaks in the exciting opener.
The Filipino standouts knew exactly the necessary adjustments in the second set, as Huey provided the attack with his deadly forehands straight to the corners. The PHL duo controlled the tempo as they managed to retain the counters of Wang en route to their smooth 6-2 rally.
In the third set, double faults from Wang gave the Philippines a quick 2-0 advantage. Then Huey and Gonzales rallied from a 0-30 deficit to hold on and lead, 5-2. Aces from the pair also piled the cushion as they clearly overpowered their opponents.
The surge continued in the fourth set as the Filipino showed their much-needed chemistry to overwhelm their Taiwanese foes. The scrappy pair of Wang and Hung tried to snatch the set with a fierce start, but Huey showcased his experience and consistency with his baseline plays.
The victory saved the country’s campaign as it eyes to advance to the finals of their Group II tie.
On Friday the Chinese Taipei took the first two singles matches as the Philippines’s hope, Gonzales and Frances Casey Alcantara bowed to their respective opponents.
Image credits: Roy Domingo