Tierro replaces Huey in Davis Cup singles vs Sri Lanka

MANILA, Philippines -- The road back to Group I of the Davis Cup's Asia-Oceania bracket starts for the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippines when it clashes with Sri Lanka at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association Courts, Colombo, Sri Lanka Friday.

Non-playing Phl team coach Roland Kraut opted to field in Patrick John Tierro instead of Fil-Am Treat Conrad Huey, the country's best player having made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open a week ago, a ploy that could work or backfire.

Tierro, who came in here as replacement to Francis Casey Alcantara who is a tennis scholar at Pepperdine, drew Harshana Godamanna in Thursday's drawing ceremony while Fil-Am Ruben Gonzales was paired with Dineshkanthan Thangarajah in Saturday's opening singles of their Asia-Oceania Group II tie.

Phl team manager Jean Henri Lhuillier said he supports the decision of Kraut to play Tierro and rest Huey.

"It's a big decision by our captain (Kraut) but as coach preparing the players, he should know best who should play and the strategy for the team to win," said Lhuillier.

Huey, however, is scheduled to play in Sunday's doubles with Johnny Arcilla versus Godamanna and Rajeev Rajapakse in the match he is expected to win since the former has moved from No. 22 to No. 21 in the Association of Tennis Professional rankings recently.

The reverse singles pit Gonzales against Godamanna and Tierro versus Thangarajah on Sunday.

The Filipinos blew their chance of re-entering Group I for the first time in three years after losing to New Zealand in a heated showdown at the Plantation Bay Resorts and Spa a year ago that kept the former back in Group II.

The Phl hopes this is the year it will make it to Group I.