Sri Lanka, on Saturday, lost their Doubles rubber and the two Singles on Sunday, and thus succumbed to the Philippines 5-0 in their first round tie of the Asia-Oceania Zone Group-II which ended at the indoor clay courts complex of the Valle Verde Country Club, Pasig, Philippines, the ITF reported on Sunday.
The three-day event began on Friday.
In Saturday’s Doubles, Sri Lanka’s Sharmal Dissanayake and Dineshkanthan Thangarajah lost to Francis Casey Al Cantara and Treat Huey, who carries an impressive Double world rank of 60, to a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Dissanayake lost to Huey 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in the fourth Singles rubber Sunday.
In the fifth Singles played also Sunday, Dineshkanthan lost in straight sets to Francis Casey Alcantra 6-2, 6-3 giving hosts a 5-0 whitewash in the tie.
Sri Lanka has never won against the Philippines in nine outings, including this year’s one, in the Davis Cup.
The Davis Cup, which is the annual World Cup of men’s international tennis, is considered the biggest international annual team competition in world sport at present. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is sponsored by BNP Paribas.
Sri Lanka will now have to play Lebanon in Colombo from July 17 – 19 this year in the Davis Cup Relegation Play-off.
They need to win that tie if they are to remain in Group-II next year too. A loss there will affect a demotion to Group-III in 2016.
The head-to-head record of the two countries is in favour of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has never lost to Lebanon in four ties, played since 2007. They last met in 2013 in their only Group-II tie so far and Sri Lanka won that 3-2, in Jounieh, Lebanon.
Pakistan beat Kuwait 3-2 in Colombo
Meanwhile Pakistan staved off a stiff resistance from Kuwait in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group-II first round tie played in Colombo, ending Sunday.
Coming into last day’s play, Pakistan was leading 2-1.
But Mohammad Ghareeb, Kuwait’s leading player, beat his younger opponent, Mohammad Abid Ali Khan Akbar of Pakistan in a five-set thriller, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The victory made the tie 2-2 but Pakistan’s experienced campaigner Aqeel Khan was not swayed by Dawood Sayed Hashim in the deciding match. Khan won 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.
Pakistan will progress to play Indonesia in round two next July.
The Pakistan vs. Kuwait tie was shifted to Colombo from its original venue, Pakistan.
