PH posts 2-1 win over Kyrgyzstan in Fed Cup

Katharina Lehnert in action during the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Contributed Photo)

MANILA— The Philippines kicked off its Fed Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Kyrgyzstan in Pool B of the Asia/Oceania Zone Group 2 competitition at the Bahrain Tennis Federation hard courts on Tuesday.

Marian Jade Capadocia of Antique province gave the Philippines a 1-0 lead when she took the first singles match over Saara Kunakunova, 6-1, 6-2.

Kyrgyzstan fought back in the second singles match, with Ksenia Palkina firing seven aces to pull off a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Filipino-German Katharina Lehnert in their two hours and 13 minutes encounter.

Lehnert and Anna Clarice Patrimonio, who both played in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, saved the day for the Philippines after beating Palkina and Kanykey Koichumanova, 6-4, 6-3, in the doubles match.

Patrimonio debuted in the Fed Cup in 2011, winning all her 11 singles matches. She also won 15 doubles matches, including eight with Capadocia.

The 22-year-old Capadocia has played in the Fed Cup in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She has a 7-1 win-loss record in the singles and a 9-1 card in the doubles.

Kyrgyzstan and Singapore are scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Indonesia and Pakistan won their respective ties in Pool D. Indonesia defeated Bahrain, 3-0, while Pakistan downed Sri Lanka, 2-1.

In Pool A, Uzbekistan registered a 3-0 win over Lebanon, which will be up against New Zealand on Wednesday.

In Pool C, Pacific Oceania demolished Iran, 3-0, while Oman won over Malaysia, 2-1.

The winners of each pool will face each other (A1 vs C1 and B1 vs D1) with the winners to be promoted to Group 1 in 2019.

Former national player Czarina Mae Arevalo is the team captain of the Philippines, which is aiming to return to Group 1. She has played 32 ties during her eight-year stint with the Fed Cup squad.

The Philippines was relegated to Group 2 after losing all four of its ties at the Group 1 competition held in Astana, Kazakhstan last year.

The Fed Cup is the world’s biggest annual women’s team competition. In the Zonal Group, ties are played over best-of-three matches (two singles and one doubles).