SL succumbs to 5-0 annihilation by Philippines

• Pakistan grinds way to victory over Kuwait

Sri Lanka, facing a supremely confident Philippines playing on their home court, could not muster any meaningful defiance in the face of superior opposition and were swiftly annihilated 5-0 yesterday. Even the Lankans’ usual lynchpin Harshana Godamanna could not will himself over the line in a brutal barn burner against Patrick-John Tierro which he lost 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-3. Local prodigy Sharmal Dissanayake faltered thrice, twice in singles action against Rben Gonzales and Treat Huey and once in a doubles encounter where he and partner Thangarajah Dineshkanthan were firmly dispatched by the Filipino team of Francis Alcantara and Huey. Alcantara was to make it a double against Dineshkanthan when he breezed past him in two easy sets (6-2, 6-3), enabling his team to stride off the court with a whitewash. Meanwhile, Pakistan were forced to battle hard to eke out a 3-2 triumph over Kuwait to progress to the second round of Asia-Oceania’s Group 2 segment, after some scintillating tennis at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts yesterday. Pakistan earned victories through Aisam Qureshi and Aqeel Khan after both men won their singles matches against Naser Al Obaidly (6-1, 6-0, 6-2) and D. Sayed Hashim (6-2, 6-1, 6-2) and then teamed up to oust the Kuwaiti pairing of Hassan Al Mousa and Ghareeb (6-3, 3-6, 6-3,6-1). The Pakistanis’ triumph books them a second round meeting with Indonesia - who beat Iran - from 17-19 July.