LAPU LAPU CITY, Philippines - Nakatakdang sagupain ngayon ng Cebuana Lhuillier Philippine team sa pangunguna nina Fil-Am duo of Cecil Mamiit at Treat Conrad Huey ang Japan sa kanilang Asia-Oceania Davis Cup Group I tie sa Plantation Bay Resorts and Spa.
“Everything is going to be in our terms because we had the surface we like, the weather, the crowd and now the draw,” sabi ni Mamiit, lalabanan si Japan No. 2 Tatsuma Ito sa unang singles event. “Now its our turn to do our part and that is giving everything we got to make our country proud.”
Magtatapat sina Mamiit at Ito sa ganap na alas-10 ng umaga kasunod ang banggaan nina RP No. 2 Huey at Japan No. 1 Go Soeda.
Sina Johnny Arcilla at Elbert Anasta ang haharap naman kina Takao Suzuki at Hiroki Kondo, pumalit kay Yuichi Sugita, sa doubles event bukas ng alas-12 ng tanghali.
Maari rin silang palitan nina Mamiit at Huey kung sakali, habang si Patrick John Tierro ang nag-iisang Filipino reserve.
Sa reverse singles matches naman inaasahang magtatagpo sina Mamiit at Soeda at sina Huey at Ito sa Linggo sa nasabing three-day event.
“These guys are human beings too, they also have a little chink in the armor, they have two hands, two eyes and two feet like us,” ani Mamiit.
Nagmula ang mga national sa malaking panalo sa South Korea.