Taipei Times
Date: Sep 18, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter, with AFP and AP
Taiwan need to win both their reverse singles rubbers today to win their Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group
Japan’s Kei Nishikori, front, returns as Yuichi Sugita waits in their Davis Cup doubles match against Ukraine in Osaka, Japan, yesterday. Photo: AFP
II promotion playoff with Thailand after the hosts won yesterday’s doubles rubber to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five match.
Twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana completed a 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Taiwanese duo Hung Jui-chen and Wang Chieh-fu in 2 hours, 13 minutes yesterday to give the hosts a 2-1 advantage at the National Tennis Development Center in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
The Ratiwatana twins saved just one of five break points, but converted seven of 14, winning 105 of the 196 points contested to put Thailand on the brink of a spot in next year’s Asia-Oceania Group I ahead of today’s matches.
On Friday, Kittiphong Wachiramanowong handed the hosts the lead with a surprise 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-1 victory over Taiwanese world No. 447 Yang Tsung-hua in the first singles rubber, before Taiwan hit back through world No. 504 Lee Kuan-yi, who was leading 7-6 (7/3), 5-0 in the second when his opponent, Pruchya Isarow, was forced to retire.
The visitors will need both Yang and Lee to be at their best today to gain promotion. [FULL STORY]
