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Philippines stuns Pacific Oceania, moves closer to Billie Jean King Cup promotion


The Philippine Women’s Tennis Team pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory to stay in contention for promotion in the Billie Jean King Cup.

In a do-or-die encounter on the final day of round-robin action, the Philippines edged Pacific Oceania, 2-1, in Group B of the Asia/Oceania Group II on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The win secured the Filipinas a spot in the crossover semifinals.

Looking to gain a tactical edge, head coach Denise Dy made a bold decision to field veteran Shaira Hope Rivera in the opening singles match in place of teenager Tennielle Madis.

The move was prompted by Pacific Oceania’s formidable top singles player, Violet Apisah — a former world junior No. 24 in 2018 — who had won all three of her previous matches without dropping a set.

However, the switch didn’t alter the outcome, as the 25-year-old Apisah maintained her dominance with a 6-2, 6-0 win over the former Ateneo standout, giving Pacific Oceania an early 1-0 lead.

Then, the tide turned — twice.

With their tournament lives on the line, Dy tapped 2024 US Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Freshman of the Year Alexa Milliam for the second singles match.

The 20-year-old from La Carlota, Negros Occidental, now representing the University of West Alabama (UWA), battled Carolann Delaunay in a grueling three-set match.

After splitting the first two sets, Milliam trailed 1-5 in the decider and looked all but finished.

But despite battling fatigue, she mounted a miraculous comeback. With Delaunay visibly cramping, Milliam swept the next six games to snatch the match and level the tie at one apiece.

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With everything on the line, Dy sent Rivera back out — this time paired with the 17-year-old Madis — for the decisive doubles match against the Apisah sisters, Violet and Patricia.

The Pacific Oceania duo grabbed the opening set in a nail-biting tiebreak, 7-6 (12-10), and took a 5-3 lead in the second, inching closer to victory.

But Rivera, an incoming senior at UWA, showed composure and leadership, anchoring the Philippine side’s comeback. She and Madis rallied to force another tiebreak and claimed it 7-4 to force a deciding super tiebreak.

Locked at 5-5 in the final set, the Filipino pair found another gear, surging ahead 9-6.

The Apisah sisters threatened one last time, trimming the gap to 9-8, but Rivera and Madis held their nerve to seal the win in two hours and 31 minutes, clinching the match with a 10-8 super tiebreak.

Both the Philippines and Pacific Oceania entered Friday’s tie with identical 2-1 records, each having defeated Uzbekistan and Iran but falling to Group B leader Indonesia.

With the victory, the Philippines advances to Saturday’s crossover semifinals, where they face Mongolia.

Meanwhile, Indonesia will take on host nation Malaysia.

The winners of both semifinals will not only book a spot in the finals but also secure promotion to Asia/Oceania Group I.

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