HUEY STEPS UP FOR IN JURED GONZALES TO CLINCH DAVIS CUP TIE VS SRI LANKA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 02 Feb 2014
World-ranked doubles star Treat Huey stepped up for US-based Ruben Gonzales in the crucial first reverse singles against Sri Lanka?s No. 1 player Harshana Godamanna who is also based in the US to score a thrilling four-set victory to clinch the Asia-Oceania Group II tie in Colombo on Sunday.
PHILTA Davis Cup executive and former youth standout Randy Villanueva told the Manila Standard that Gonzales ?accidentally got injured at the end of the doubles match and twisted his knee? forcing non-playing team captain Roland Kraut to substitute him with Huey who didn?t play in the opening day?s singles but was a key factor in the smashing win in the crucial doubles on Saturday when he teamed up with Gonzales to beat Sri Lanka?s top doubles duo of Godamanna and Rajeev Rajapakse in straight sets 6-1, 6-0, 6-1.
Gonzales smashed his way to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 win over Dineshkanthan Thangarajah to even the tie on opening day after Patrick John Tierro lost his opening singles match against the lefty Godamanna to give the hosts a 1-0 lead at the Sri Lanka Lawn Tennis Courts in Colombo.
In the crucial first reverse singles, Huey lost the opening set to the Sri Lankan star who had previously won 15 of his last 17 singles matches and is a five-time national champion 2-6 and was down 1-4 in the second before the popular Fil-Am star clawed back to win the set 6-4.
Huey continued his fine play to wrap up the third set by an identical 6-4 score and broke Godamanna in the opening game of the fourth set.
Villanueva reported that Huey was down three breakpoints in the set with one breakpoint highlighted by a classic 20-shot rally before Huey dug deep to save serve and go up 2-0.
Points were very close and it was a nip-and-tuck affair before Huey raced to a 4-1 lead and then, despite what Villanueva said were ?many bad calls in the last game? Huey held his nerve to lead 5-2.
In a long drawn out set with both players getting tired Huey ultimately nailed it 6-4 in a match that Villanueva said was ?so close in the end.?
In a post match interview with the Standard, Huey said ?it was a very tough match. He (Godamanna) played really well? and indicated the Sri Lankan?s training in the US made him a better player.
Huey was elated over how he and Gonzales combined in the overpowering win in the doubles and said they both played excellent tennis which was borne out by their straight sets win while conceding only two games.
Huey said he is leaving for the US to visit his parents for a week after which he will fly to Brazil to compete and then move on to a tournament at Indian Wells while Villanueva told us they would leave Colombo tonight and arrive in Manila via Singapore Airlines at 1:00 p.m. Monday.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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