PLANTATION Bay Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City is ready to host for the third time a Davis Cup tournament pitting the Philippines and Syria in the first round of action in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group II this weekend.
The resort’s general manager Efren Belarmino said that they have already installed an additional 18 units of 400-watt Firefly bulbs to the existing 20 bulbs of the same wattage strategically placed around the shell-clay court.
The additional bulbs were leant to the resort by JOBER Electronic Parts and Electrical Supply owned by Cristobal “Jun” Magdadaro. These lights will help illuminate the court better as matches will be held later in the day and into the night.
In 2011, Lapu-Lapu City partnered with Plantation Bay to host the first Davis Cup tournament out of Manila.
The resort had the shell-clay court made while Lapu-Lapu put up the 1,500-capacity bleachers.
The resort has also prepared a court cover in case it will rain during the event.
The first Davis Cup here had the Philippines going up against Japan in February of 2011 while the second happened seven months later in September against Chinese Taipei.
Aside from the matches to be held later in the day for the first time, this will also be the first time that the tournament is opened to the public for free.
Philippine Tennis Association vice president Randy Villanueva is counting on the free admission to bring in the local crowd, whom he considers the sixth man. Since matches will be held later in the day, Villanueva said there will be no reason why fans can’t watch the games as the heat of the sun won’t be a factor anymore and those who have work will also be done by that time.
Yonex is the official outfitter and balls of the event. Also lending its support to the event are Smart Sports, Cebuana Lhuillier, Philippine Sports Commission and Jean Henri Lhuillier while its official newspaper partner is the Philippine Daily Inquirer. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON