Following a tough previous defeat, the Philippine men’s tennis squad bounced back on Thursday with a crucial victory against Uzbekistan in their Asia/Oceania Group III tie.
Jed Olivarez put the Philippines on the board first, dismantling Amir Milushev in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to secure an early advantage in the opening singles bout.
However, Uzbekistan quickly answered back in the next singles matchup, as Sergey Fomin defeated AJ Lim in a 6-4, 6-2 decision to level the overall tie.
With the outcome hanging in the balance, the veteran duo of Ruben Gonzales and Francis Casey Alcantara stepped up in the deciding doubles showdown. The tandem edged out Damir Abdusamadov and Abdulaziz Usmonjonov in a hard-fought battle, 7-6, 6-4, to clinch the series victory for the Philippines.
The triumph served as a resilient response for the Filipino netters, who had suffered defeats in both of their singles matches against Jordan just a day prior.
The ongoing round-robin tournament is currently being hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Under the competition’s promotion guidelines, the top two squads from each pool will climb to Group II. While the group winners automatically secure a spot in next year’s World Group II, the second-placed teams will face off in a playoff to vie for the final ticket to the World Group II qualifiers.
Looking to build on this momentum, the Philippines will next face off against Singapore as they continue their campaign in Kuala Lumpur.