Tennis: PH beats Pacific Oceania in thriller, advances to promotional playoff

MANILA -- The Philippines outlasted Pacific Oceania in a seven-hour tie to advance to a promotional playoff in the Billie Jean King Cup, Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The team, composed of Shaira Rivera, Tennielle Madis, Alexa Milliam, and Stefi Aludo, finished with a 3-1 record in Group B to place second overall.

They will play Mongolia -- the No. 1 team in Group A -- in a crucial match that will determine who gets promoted from Group 2 to Group 1 in the Billie Jean King Cup.

Rivera had lost to Pacific Oceania’s Violet Apisah in the first singles, but Milliam kept the Philippines alive with a gritty win against Carolann Delaunay in the second singles.

Recovering from a 1-5 deficit in Set 3, Milliam hacked out a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) triumph to level the tie.

In the deciding doubles, the Philippines had to recover from squandering a first set lead and showed their poise in the super tiebreak in the final set for a 6-7, 7-6, 10-8 win.

The Philippines beat Uzbekistan, Iran, and Pacific Oceania in the group phase, with their lone loss coming against Indonesia. -- report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News