Facing top-ranked Chinese Taipei, the Philippines succumbed in the opening singles matches of the second round tie of the 2015 Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group II action, to trail 0-2, Saturday afternoon at Kaohsiung Yangming Tennis Courts, Kaoshuing City, Taiwan.
2015 Southeast Asian Games medallist Jeson Patrombon faltered against the older Jui-Chen Hung in the first singles match. Hung took the first two sets in similar 6-2 scorelines. Patrombon was overpowered by the Taiwanese in the third set, winning just a game, 1-6, as Hung took the early lead for the hosts.
Round 1 hero Patrick John Tierro could not pull off a comeback victory, similar to the opening singles against Sri Lanka, and suffered the same fate as Patrombon in the second singles match of this tie. World number 61 Yen-Hsun Lu limited Tierro to four won games in the first two sets, 6-2 6-2. The Taiwanese veteran then finished the Filipino in the third set, 6-1.
The Nationals will attempt to do what Pakistan did to them last year: win the next three matches of the tie, for them to have a chance at promotion to Group I next year. A win by Filipino veterans Ruben Gonzales and Treat Huey in Sunday’s doubles match against Hsien-Ying Peng and Hsin-Han Lee will extend the tie for the reverse singles on Monday.
