Ratiwatana twins put Thais in driving seat
Kingdom surge 2-1 ahead of Sri Lankans
The Ratiwatana twins Sonchat and Sanchai yesterday picked up an important doubles win to steer Thailand to a 2-1 advantage over Sri Lanka in their Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group II first round clash.
After the opening day singles rubbers on Friday at National Tennis Development Centre, Muang Thong Thani, Thailand and Sri Lanka were tied 1-1.
The experienced pair of Sonchat and Sanchai took on Sri Lanka’s Dineshkanthan Thangarajah and Yasitha de Silva, who replaced Sharmal Dissanayake and Harshana Godamanna as the doubles partners at the last moment.
The first set was a breeze for the Thai twins as they whitewashed their opponents 6-0 before widening the margin to 2-0 by capturing the second set 6-2.
As Sonchat and Sanchai eased some pressure, Thangarajah and De Silva fared marginally better in the third but the Thais were still too strong and took the set 6-3 to deliver the much-needed win to the their squad.
The fate of the match now rests on today’s reverse singles in which Thailand No.1 Puriwat Chatpatcharoen takes on Dissanayake and second-ranked Pruchya Isarow faces Godamanna.
Puriwat, feeling powerless after a bout of food poisoning, had suffered a shock defeat to Godamanna in the opening singles match-up on Friday before Pruchya tamed Dissanayake in the second to level the score 1-1.
Sonchat and Sanchai said the Sri Lankans had changed their doubles pair because the wanted to keep their top two players fresh for the reverse singles.
They added that if Puriwat can regain fitness and “doesn’t get excited then it shouldn’t be a problem for the [Thai] team. In any case, Pruchya is good enough to win the final clash if it comes to that.”
Thailand captain Paradorn Srichaphand said: “Puriwat will be on the court first and although he is getting better, we are still worried about his fitness.
“I am hoping that he will be able to play well and do better than his first match.
“Pruchya has the experience of playing Davis Cup and is in good form. He should be able to help the Thai team in case the match goes into the deciding singles rubber.”
Puriwat said: “I lost 4kg because of diarrhea, but have recovered now. It will be a pressure match for me [today] because if I can win my match, it will give us an unassailable lead.”
Pruchya said: “I am hoping we will be able to wrap it up in the first singles but I am confident and ready to do my job. However, I will not underestimate the opponent at all.”
AMERICANS GAIN EDGE
The crack Bob and Mike Bryan doubles combination gave the United States a crucial edge in their Davis Cup World Group tie with a thrilling five-set win over the Lleyton Hewitt-inspired Australians at Kooyong yesterday.
The 16-time Grand Slam and London Olympics doubles champions looked to be cruising to victory, breezing through the opening two sets before Hewitt and debutant John Peers forced a fifth set.
But the telepathic American twins proved too strong in the deciding set, winning 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours 30 minutes to give their team a vital 2-1 lead.
Jim Courier’s Americans can wrap up the first-round tie on Kooyong’s grass court with just one more victory in today’s reverse singles through their top-rated John Isner — who faces Australia’s Bernard Tomic — or Jack Sock.