Opening day of the A/O Zone Group II 1st round tie between Hong Kong and the Philippines saw Martin Sayer beat Treat Huey in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(0), 6-2, to give the home side an early 1-0 lead. Play was then suspended due to rain in the second singles after Cecil Mamiit had taken the first set against Yu Hiu Tung, 7-6(2).

The second singles between Cecil Mamiit and Yu Hiu Tung shall resume at 10am (HKG time) on Saturday, March 7.

See Asia/Oceania Zone Group II

Although Davis Cup debutante Treat Huey is 2-0 lifetime against Martin Sayer at the NCAA D1 level, it was Martin who started stronger of the two, as he was able to dictate play with his potent forehands and thus subjecting Huey to doing most of the running.

After bagging the opening set, games went with serve in the second until 4-4 when Huey finally broke through to lead 5-4. Serving for the set, Huey led 40-15 but was thwarted by a winner from Martin before he double faulted to take the score to deuce. Martin went on to break Huey in that game for 5-5 before both players held to take proceedings to a tiebreak.

The Hong Kong Davis Cupper then conjured one of the finest tiebreaks in his career, reeling off seven straight points – most of them consisting of either forehand or volley winners – to strong-arm the second set and, at the same time, establishing an authoritative two sets to love lead.

By the third, Huey's resistance was clearly on the decline, as evidenced by another early loss of serve. Martin then broke again near the finish line to stake himself a 5-2 lead before he held for the final time with minimal fuss to complete a solid, 6-4, 7-6(0), 6-2, win.

In terms of historic match-ups between the two countries, Hong Kong has now taken a lead, no matter how slender, for the very first time.

"It seemed he [Huey] was perhaps a bit nervous and tentative in the beginning, while I started off great. I was really relishing the challenge at hand and thoroughly enjoying my tennis at the moment. You know, I'd have to admit I definitely played a very, very good tiebreak there in the second set. It just seemed everything is coming together rather well," said Martin.

"That said, there's still a lot of tennis to be played over the weekend. They are obviously a formidable side with Mamiit in the line-up, but we're absolutely going to give it our very best. So, we'll have to see what happens," he added.

Martin Sayer was a former scholarship athlete at the Hong Kong Sports Institute before he accepted a full tennis scholarship to attend Radford University in September 2005. Earlier last month, Martin became the first player in the history of Radford men's tennis to achieve one hundred career wins in singles in NCAA Division I.

Radford Men's Tennis Head Coach, Mike Anderson, assessed: "The pace combined with the heavy top spin he generates from his wrist action is definitely world class. His very heavy backhand is also a bit underestimated because when used strategically, it sets up his inside-out forehand nicely, making it a formidable combination."

See Martin Sayer's Player Profile

The opening singles between Martin Sayer and Treat Huey, which was delayed for over an hour due to incessant rain, meant a late start for the second singles between Yu Hiu Tung and Cecil Mamiit as well.

Hong Kong's Yu Hiu Tung managed to stay close with the former ATP No. 72 before he yielded the first set in a tiebreak, 7-2, to the Phil-Am.

When Yu Hiu Tung last faced Cecil Mamiit on the pro circuit, which occurred in Ho Chi Minh City in 2005, Mamiit took that encounter in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1.

As the skies opened up again in the late evening, play was then suspended, which will resume at 10am on Saturday, March 7.  Weather permitting, the originally scheduled doubles will then go on in the afternoon as envisaged.

Elsewhere in Asia/Oceania Zone Group II, visitors Pakistan gained an expected 2-0 lead over Oman in Muscat. It started with a straight-set victory for Pakistani number one, Aisam Qureshi (ATP 298), when he beat Khalid Al Nabhani, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Aqeel Khan, however, had a much harder time against Oman number one, Mohammed Al Nabhani, as the veteran from Pakistan dropped the opening two sets before prevailing in five, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.

Meanwhile in Solo, Indonesia, Christopher Rungkat gave the host an early 1-0 lead after he beat Kuwait's Ahmad Rabeea Muhammad in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. However, Kuwaiti number one Mohammad Ghareeb quickly restored parity when he defeated Sunu-Wahyu Trijati, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(2), to bring the score back to level terms, 1-1.

In Auckland, home nation New Zealand coasted to a 2-0 lead as expected behind the one-two punch of Jose Statham (ATP 425) and Daniel King-Turner (ATP 453), as they defeated Razlan Rawi and Si Yew-Ming respectively in straight sets.

The Kiwis will be out looking for the outright win on Saturday when the pairing of G.D. Jones and Daniel King-Turner takes on Si Yew-Ming and Adam Jaya in the doubles.

Up in Asia/Oceania Zone Group I, Japan has taken a 2-0 lead against China in Osaka, with Go Soeda beating Zeng Shao-Xuan, 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-3, before Kei Nishikori defeated debutante Zhang Ze also in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

Veterans Takao Suzuki and Satoshi Iwabuchi are scheduled to take on Zeng Shao-Xuan and Zhang Ze in the all-important doubles on Saturday.

Results
Davis Cup by BNP Paribas 2009
Asia/Oceania Zone Group II First Round
Victoria Park, Hong Kong
March 6-8, 2009

HONG KONG leads PHILIPPINES   1 – 0

R-1 Martin Sayer (HKG) d. Treat Huey (PHI) 6-4 7-6(0) 6-2
R-2 Cecil Mamiit (PHI) leads Yu Hiu Tung (HKG) 7-6(2)
R-3 Brian Hung/Michael Lai (HKG) v. Cecil Mamiit/Treat Huey (PHI)
R-4 Martin Sayer (HKG) v. Cecil Mamiit (PHI)
R-5 Yu Hiu Tung (HKG) v. Treat Huey (PHI)