Thailand Faces Tough Challenge Against Taiwan

With a promotion to Group I next year up for grab, the two nations will battle it out to win three rubbers but it’s the visitors that have all the aces with two main players being ranked above top 505  in the world.

Taiwan will be spearheaded by former world No 1 junior and former junior French Open champion in 2008 Tsung-Hua Yang, the current 447^th ranked and Lee Kuan-Yi , the 504^th ranked who just reached the semi-finals in the Hua Hin Men’s Futures 2 two weeks ago.

Thailand meanwhile relies on the 987 th ranked Pruchya Isarow who is having problems on both knees and Kittipong Wachiramanowong, ranked outside the top 1,000, and the long-time doubles team of Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana.

But the fact that Taiwan is here without it’s A list players including world No 71 Lu Yen-hsun and Yang not at his top form sparks some little hope for the local side to cause an upset.

“I rate the chance for our country at 50 per cent chance of winning as Taiwan is using second string team. Our players have played them before in close matches. But in the best of five set match of the Davis Cup, who knows what can happen,” said Thai captain Virat Baerrohim.

“For Yang, I’ve seen him play against Phassawit (Burapharitta) last year in the World University Games. I studied his strength and weakness already. For Lee he just beat Pruchya in Hua Hin two weeks ago. So it will be a close battle this weekend,” Virat said.

But the Thai skipper is confident Thailand should at least guarantee a point from doubles specialists Sonchat and Sanchai. So to stand a chance at winning the tie, Virat said each Kittipong and Pruchya must should contribute one point from their singles matches.

 Taiwanese captain Chiang Jinn-Yen is also well aware of the ability of the Thai twins and did not overwrite Thailand’s chance in the tie.

“Thailand has strong doubles team and must be very well prepared for us. But we have also been well training for this Davis Cup and we are ready to make the best results here,” the Taiwanese captain said.

Thai No 1 Pruchya admitted that he was not 100 per cent due to the knee injuries which gave him some difficulties to move. But he said was receiving good treatment from a physio and kept his finger crossed would feel better by Friday.

“I feel some little annoyance during some movement. But I’m determined to represent Thailand in the tie which is very important as it’s our chance to get back to Group I. I hope to be really ready on Friday,” said Pruchya who has iced wrapped in plastic around his knees.

Thailand leads Taiwan 3-1 in their head-to-head record but the Thai wins all came during the peak of Thai tennis in 1998 and 2007 and in 1983 where Taiwan was still not the powerhouse of this sport like it is today.

All five rubbers can be seen live on PPTV website which starts at 10am between Friday and Sunday.