Having needed to win both reverse singles to stave off relegation, Hong Kong did just that on Sunday in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas A/O Zone Group II Playoff held at the Chinese Recreation Club where Yu Hiu Tung first leveled the tie at 2-2 by calmly defeating opposing No. 1, Karim Alayly, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. Michael Lai then completed the 3-2 overall victory by seeing off the inexperienced Ibrahim Abou Chahine, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, who got the call in place of the ailing Jicham Zaatini.

Facing a must-win situation, Yu Hiu Tung came out and won the first five games on the trot before the Lebanese number one managed to break back to get on the board. Although Alayly consolidated to make it 5-2, it was a case of too little too late, as Tung duly held his next service game to bag the opening set, 6-2.

Although Alayly sent down two thumping aces in the third game of the second set, the HK Davis Cupper still broke serve nonetheless and then held easily in the ensuing game to consolidate for a 3-1 lead. Just when a rout was on the cards, a slight lapse in concentration saw Alayly break back for a 3-3 impasse. Fortunately, order was restored immediately, as Tung broke his opponent's next two service games sandwiched between a hold that required the saving of a break point at 40-30 down in the penultimate game of this set to win it, 6-3.

It was on serve until the eighth game of the third set when Tung pounced on the Alayly serve one last time to break for 5-3. Although the southpaw from Hong Kong wasted his first two match points in the following game when leading 40-0, Tung came good on his third attempt, winning the set 6-3.

Final score: 6-2 6-3 6-3 to Hong Kong in 1 hour and 49 minutes.

In the fifth and deciding rubber, Michael Lai simply had too much game and experience against 17-year-old Abou Chahine, who has only one dead rubber singles and two ITF junior events under his belt. Abou Chahine had only ever held a highest junior world ranking of No. 1215 three years ago. Needless to say, Michael was never troubled and calmly registered a straight-set, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 victory to preserve the territory's Group II status at the expense of the visiting Lebanese team.

Lebanon and Pacific Oceania have been relegated to Asia/Oceania Zone Group III for 2009.

In the Asia/Oceania Zone Group II Semifinals, Bai Yan (ATP 505) gave China an unassailable 3-1 lead when he took care of Christopher Rungkat in four sets, 6-1, 6-4, 1-6, 6-0, rendering the remaining reverse singles irrelevant.

China will face-off with New Zealand in the Group II Final after the Kiwis blanked Mohammad Al Ghareeb's (ATP 407) Kuwait in Meshref. Surprisingly, so dominant was the New Zealanders' win that they did not drop a single set in all five rubbers, with Al Ghareeb losing tamely to Jose Statham (ATP 534), 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, earlier on Friday.

That said, Kuwait's Abdullah Magdas, who plays for NCAA Division I outfit USC, was not available for this tie. As a junior, he was ranked as high as No. 18 on the ITF World Junior Circuit in 2005. That year, he beat Martin Sayer to win the G1 Mitsubishi-Lancer Int'l Jr Championships, was a runner-up at the Asian Closed Jr Tennis Championships, as well as reaching the last 16 at Junior Wimbledon.

The loser of the China-New Zealand final will remain in Group II next year.

In the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I First Round Playoffs, Denis Istomin defeated Filipino number one, Cecil Mamiit (ATP 517), 6-3, 6-0, 6-4, to give Uzbekistan a winning 3-1 lead in Manila before Eric Taino rounded things off by beating Vaja Uzakov in the dead rubber to complete the 3-2 scoreline.

In Almaty, Lu Yen-Hsun (ATP 112) defeated opposing number one, Yuri Schukin (ATP 127), in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, to tie things up at two apiece before Chen Ti (ATP 284) dealt with Alexey Kedryuk (ATP 522), 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), to secure a come-from-behind 3-2 victory for Taiwan.

Wang Yeu-Tzuoo was not amongst the four nominated players for this particular tie.

The Philippines and Kazakhstan will now have to playoff with one another for Group I survival. The losing nation will be relegated to Group II in 2009.

Elsewhere, Pakistan, with Aisam Qureshi (ATP singles 138, doubles 72) back on Davis Cup duty, thoroughly dominated the Asia/Oceania Zone Group III event in Tehran as expected last week. Pakistan, together with Malaysia, has been promoted to Asia/Oceania Group II for 2009, while Vietnam and United Arab Emirates were relegated to Asia/Oceania Group IV for 2009.

Without looking too far ahead, Pakistan, Kuwait, China or New Zealand, and Philippines or Kazakhstan looks likely to be the seeded nations in Group II next year – that is to say, either one of them could be likely first round opponents for the territory in 2009.

Results
Davis Cup by BNP Paribas
Asia/Oceania Zone Group II 2008 Relegation Playoff
Chinese Recreation Club, Hong Kong
11 - 13 April 2008

HONG KONG defeated LEBANON   3 – 2

R-1 Yu Hiu Tung (HKG) d. Jicham Zaatini (LIB) 7-6(2) 7-6(2) 6-7(1) 6-0
R-2 Karim Alayly (LIB) d. Michael Lai (HKG) 6-2 6-2 3-6 3-6 9-7
R-3 Karim Alayly/Jicham Zaatini (LIB) d. Henry So/Adrian Montesinos (HKG) 6-7(4) 4-6 6-3 7-6(7) 6-4
R-4 Yu Hiu Tung (HKG) d. Karim Alayly (LIB) 6-2 6-3 6-3
R-5 Michael Lai (HKG) d. Ibrahim Abou Chahine (LIB) 6-1 6-1 6-2