The Philippine men’s tennis team climbed to Asia/Oceania Group IV of the Davis Cup after an impeccable, undefeated performance in the Group V tournament in Manama, Bahrain.
National team mainstays Ruben Gonzales and Francis Casey Alcantara sealed the deal with a decisive doubles victory against the Northern Mariana Islands, giving the Philippines a 2-1 tie win.
The SEA Games doubles champions displayed dominance as they defeated Robin Schoor and Colin Sinclair 7-5, 6-1 in the deciding match.
“It feels amazing to be back playing Davis Cup for the country after almost four years away,” said Alcantara. “Thank you to PHILTA for supporting us and ensuring we were prepared for this week in Bahrain.”
With their promotion, the Philippines joins Cambodia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates in Asia/Oceania Group IV.
Eric Olivarez got the Philippines off to a strong start in the tie against the Northern Mariana Islands with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 win over Schoor in the opening singles. However, AJ Lim faced a tough challenge in the second singles, falling to Sinclair 7-5, 4-6, 1-6, which forced the must-win doubles match.
Earlier in the round-robin stage, the Philippine team delivered sweeping victories against Mongolia, Macau, and Turkmenistan. Eric Olivarez Jr. and Alberto Lim impressed in singles matches, with Lim firing eight aces in a 6-2, 6-3 win over Turkmenistan’s Meylis Orazmuhamedow. In doubles, Gonzales and Alcantara consistently delivered strong performances, including a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Turkmenistan’s Hadzhymyrat Charyyev and Gurbanberdi Gurbanberdiyev.
The team also included veteran player PJ Tierro and non-playing captain Joseph Lizardo.
