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| Marian Jade Capadocia. |
By Kristoffer Ed Bellen
MANILA--The Philippine Fed Cup team once again will try to regain its Asian tennis glory as it competes at the 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Asia/Oceania Qualifiers this week at the Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington, New Zealand.
Bannered by the 2019 SEA Games national team members Marian Jade Capadocia, Anna Clarice Patrimonio, and Shaira Hope Rivera, the Philippines will try to get back at the top of the Asian Fed Cup stable after being relegated to the Asia/Oceania Group II in 2018.
Last year, the Philippines won two of its three ties at the Asia/Oceania Group II event in Tajikistan, defeating the hosts and Sri Lanka before losing to Chinese Taipei, to finish in the third position of their pool.
This year, though, the 58th ranked Philippines, will be grouped alongside Thailand, Turkmenistan and Guam at the Pool B of the week-long tournament in Wellington from Tuesday up to Saturday.
Under the Group II of the Asia/Oceania Zone, eight nations will compete across two different venue and two different dates.
Ten nations will join hosts Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, including Cambodia, Hong Kong, China, Iran, Myanmar, Oman, Pacific Oceania, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Vietnam while the remaining eight will join hosts New Zealand in Wellington, including Guam, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Turkmenistan.
The matches will be played in a round-robin basis and will determine the two teams that will be promoted to the Asia/Oceania Group I in 2021.
In order to get a chance for promotion, the Philippines has to win its group in Pool B before competing in a playoff with the winner of Pool A to determine which nation will advance to Asia/Oceania Group I.
The Czarina Arevalo-mentored Philippine Fed Cup team will open their campaign Tuesday against Guam before closing out the group eliminations against Thailand and Turkmenistan on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Follow him on Twitter: @KristoffBellen
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