By Ronnie Nathanielsz

FRANCIS Casey ?Nino? Alcantara sealed the Philippines? victory over Hong Kong in the Asia Oceania Zone Group II Davis Cup tie at the Victoria Park court with straight sets 6-4, 6-4 victory over 22-year-old Michael Lai in the no-bearing final reverse singles match.

Alcantara, a wisp of a boy, was given the chance to gain some Davis Cup experience after Fil-American Cecil Mamiit clinched the tie for the Philippines with an epic five-set victory over Hong Kong?s top player in Martin Sayer.

Former junior standout and Philippine Tennis Association Davis Cup administrator Randy Alcantara had christened Alcantara ?The Manny Pacquiao of Tennis.? This was following Alcantara?s triumph in the Junior Boys? doubles at the Australian Open in Melbourne recently when he teamed up with Cheng Peng Hsieh of Chinese Taipei to win the doubles and become the first Filipino to win a grand-slam title.

Appearing in the Davis Cup for the first time, Alcantara had no difficulty in beating the 5?6? Lai, who made his Davis Cup debut in 2006, had a 5-2 record in singles and was ranked no. 8 in Hong Kong last December.

Treat Huey, the other Fil-American of the Davis Cup team, partnered with Mamiit to win the crucial doubles that set up the first reverse singles, enabling the Philippines to score its fifth Davis Cup triumph over Hong Kong. The victory set up the Philippines for a semifinal clash with Pakistan on July 8 to 10 in Pakistan.

The team was scheduled to return to Manila last night aboard a Philippine Airlines flight from Hong Kong.

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 Huey lost to Sayer in straight sets 6-4, 7-6, 6-2.

He then partnered Huey to win the doubles in a tough three-set affair, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6, as the Philippines went ahead 2-1, before Mamiit sealed the win with a victory in the first of the reverse singles.