Cecil Mamiit’s heroics helped the Philippines clinch its Asia Oceania Zone Group II Davis Cup tie against Hong Kong at the Victoria Park court on Sunday afternoon.

Mamiit, the 32-year-old Philippines No. 1, dug deep into his reserves of energy and his years of experience on the international tennis circuit to win over Hong Kong’s No. 1 Martin Sayer in the first of the reverse singles to give the Philippines an insurmountable 3-1 lead going into the final no-bearing reverse singles.

Mamiit won the first set against the talented, 22-year-old Sayer 6-4. Down 4-5 in the second set Mamiit, who was at one time in his career finished as high as No. 72 in the ATP rankings, failed to hold serve enabling Sayer to even the score at one-set apiece.

Sayer, one of Radford’s and the Big South’s finest players in US NCAA Division I, played particularly well to take the third set 6-3 putting the pressure on Mamiit .

The Fil-Am Davis Cup star was up 5-3 in the fourth but simply couldn’t put it away enabling Sayer to break back to make it 5-4 with the Hong Kong player serving. Mamiit however, showing the courage he has displayed many times in the past, clawed back to ultimately take the fourth set on a tie break 7-6 (7-4) to arrange a gripping fifth and final set showdown.

Mamiit broke Sayer in the 5th game of the deciding set to take a 3-2 lead then held serve to make it 4-2 before Sayer held his serve to edge closer at 4-3. Sayer then broke back and held serve to go ahead 5-4. Games went with serve to make it 6-5. Mamiit held serve, then broke Mayer to go ahead 7-6 after earlier saving one match point.

In a gripping match Sayer saved two match points but Mamiit went up again with a break at 8-7 and once more served for the set, match and tie.

Up 40-30 against Sayer who played some amazing tennis, Mamiit closed it out with a scintillating ace that sent Filipinos in the stands cheering while wiping away tears of joy according to Philippine Tennis Association executive Randy Villanueva who kept us updated all throughout the match.

Mamiit won the opening day’s rain interrupted singles match against Yu Hiu Tung 7-6/6-1/6-1 to even the tie at 1-1 after Davis Cup newcomer Treat Huey lost to Sayer in straight sets 6-4/7-6/6-2. Mamiit then partnered with Huey to win the doubles in a tough three-set affair 7-5/6-3/7-6 playing the big points well.

Andy Yanne in a report on the Hong Kong Tennis Association site said that although the HK duo managed to break Huey's serve three times in all to take momentary leads of 4-2 in the first set, 2-0 in the second, and 4-1 in the third, Mamiit would steady their ship time and again to bring the Filipinos back.

So steady was Mamiit's play that he did not face a single break point on his serve, and was taken to deuce just once in the two-hour-and-nine-minute contest.

Moreover, the Philippines stayed away from the HK duo's stronger wings, zeroed in on their opponent's least preferred sides and generally crowded the net whenever possible with solid volleying. Huey, an accomplished doubles player in his own right with six pro circuit titles to date, coupled with Mamiit's experienced play, proved a little better in the end, as the visitors overcame an early deficit in each set to win on all three counts, taking it in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(4).

This was the first loss inflicted on the Brian Hung-Martin Sayer doubles tandem in five career outings thus far in Davis Cup play.