MANILA, Philippines - Since making its Davis Cup debut in 1926, the Philippines has never hosted a tie outside of Manila and will make history by facing Japan in an Asia/Oceania Group I first round duel at the Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on March 4-6.
Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) vice president Randy Villanueva said there was an attempt to bring the Davis Cup to Cebu in 2008 but with only two months notice, the plan was scuttled. Manila wound up as the site and Japan crushed the Philippines, 5-0.
Japan has blanked the Philippines in their last three Davis Cup face-offs dating back to 1996. Last year, Japan wiped out the Philippines anew in Osaka to post its 10th sweep in 17 wins of 26 head-to-head meetings. The Philippines has blanked Japan only once in Manila in 1964.
Since 1988, the Philippines and Japan have split eight ties but Japan has won three of the last four encounters. The last Philippine victory came in 1995 via a 3-2 count on clay.
At Plantation Bay, Villanueva said a slow clay surface will be used conforming to international tournament standards. Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Corro Radaza is providing suitable bleachers for spectators.
Last month, a tripartite memorandum of agreement was signed by Philta’s Lito Villanueva, Mayor Radaza and Plantation Bay general manager Efren Belarmino to seal the partnership for the Davis Cup tie. Japanese consul Toshio Okajima signed as a witness in the Alcatraz Hall of Plantation Bay.
Villanueva said he broached the idea of Cebu hosting the Davis Cup to John Pages, former Philta regional vice president. It was also Pages whom Villanueva contacted to look into the possibility of bringing the Davis Cup to Cebu in 2008.
“I called up John again and he was so excited,” said Villanueva. “I flew to Cebu with my father, Lito, and John introduced us to the young and energetic councilor Harry Radaza, chairman of the sports and tourism committee of Lapu-Lapu City. Harry then introduced us to Mayor Radaza. We later brought up the project to Mr. Belarmino.”
The country’s Davis Cup skipper Cecil Mamiit recently went to Plantation Bay to check out the venue. “Cecil practiced on the courts and he loved the passion of the Cebuanos for tennis,” continued Villanueva. “Cecil’s practice games in the public courts had a Davis Cup atmosphere already.”
Mamiit, 34, and Treat Huey, 25, are shoo-ins for the Philippine team. Others in line to join them are reigning PCA Open champion Marc Sieber, veteran Johnny Arcilla, Ruben Gonzales, Fil-Italian Marc Reyes and junior standout Jeson Patrombon.
At the recent Asian Games in Guangzhou, Mamiit and Huey combined to beat the Japanese pair of Go Soeda and Hiroki Kondo, 4-6, 7-6, 1-0, in the second round of doubles. But Go defeated Mamiit, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and another Japanese Davis Cupper Tatsuma Ito downed Huey, 6-4-, 6-4, in singles play. The Philippines failed to bag a single medal in tennis while Japan brought home six bronzes from men’s singles (Ito and Soeda), men’s team (Ito, Soeda, Takao Suzuki and Toshihide Matsui), mixed doubles, women’s team and women’s singles.
Japan will likely field its Asian Games lineup of Ito, 22, Soeda, 26, Suzuki, 34, and Matsui, 32, at Plantation Bay. That same cast bowled over the Philippines, 5-0, last year. Ito nailed two wins in singles, outlasting Huey, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in the first match and bouncing Mamiit, 6-4, 7-6, in the no-bearing fourth match. Soeda came from a set down to defeat Mamiit, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, in the second match. In doubles, Suzuki and Matsui teamed up to blast Mamiit and Huey, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Councilor Radaza said hosting the Davis Cup tie will establish Lapu-Lapu City as a world-class sports destination. “We’ve already made great strides in terms of investments in sports facilities,” he said. “We now have the 8,000 capacity, fully air-conditioned Hoop’s Dome for indoor sports, equipped with amenities equivalent to modern sports facilities in the US, fit to host international-caliber indoor sporting events. With Plantation Bay as our partner, we now have a tennis clay court and bleachers. This will surely attract international tennis superstars to this world-class venue.”
Mayor Radaza, for her part, said, “We have what it takes to be a serious player in the sports tourism game…let’s change the playing field from the sports arena to the resorts…after playing an international tournament in one of the top resorts in Asia, who would want to go back and play in the usual sports arena?”
The Philippines has repulsed Japan in three of their last four Davis Cup ties held in the country but none came easily. The wins were 3-2 cliffhangers in 1988, 1992 and 1995 while the loss was a 5-0 sweep in 2008.
Joaquin Henson, Philippine Star
