By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Philippines narrowly escaped relegation after edging Malaysia, 2-1, to retain its place in Group III of the Asia/Oceania Zone in the Davis Cup held recently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
While the victory preserved the country’s Group III status, the Nationals fell short of their goal of earning promotion to the World Group II playoffs – a stage they last reached in 2020.
The PH Cuppers fumbled at the start of the duel after Jed Olivarez dropped the opening singles to Darrshan Suresh Kumar, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
AJ Lim kept the Filipinos’s bid alive with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Imran Daniel Abdul Hazli before veteran doubles specialists Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales bailed the team out by defeating Kumar and Hao Sheng Koay, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, in the decisive rubber.
The relegation playoff was crucial after the PH Cuppers finished only third in Group A with a 1-2 win-loss record. They suffered identical 1-2 defeats to Jordan and Singapore, with its lone bright spot coming in a 2-1 upset of favored Uzbekistan.
The PH Cuppers have not reached the World Group II playoffs since 2020, when they bowed to Greece, led by then world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas, 4-1, in Manila.
The country, however, did not play in 2021 following a ban.
After the tournament was not held in 2022 and 2023, the PH Cuppers resumed their campaign in Group V in 2024, where they won over Northern Mariana Islands to be promoted in Group IV. Last year, they beat Kyrgyzstan, 2-0, to be promoted to Group III.
Meanwhile, Jordan and Iran topped their respective pools to secure berths in next year’s World Group II playoffs, while Saudi Arabia claimed the final promotion spot after defeating Singapore, 2-0, in the playoff between the two second-place finishers.
Despite another missed opportunity, Alcantara remained hopeful that the team could finally break through next year.
“Not the result we were hoping for but it’s always an honor to represent the Philippine flag in DAVIS CUP. We’ll come back stronger next year and fight for that Group II promotion,” Alcantara wrote on social media.
