Power-hitting Puc ends Alcantara’s run

Francis Casey Alcantara’s bid to become the first Filipino champion of the Mitsubishi International Juniors Tennis Championship came to a crashing halt as he bowed to the power-hitting Borut Puc of Slovenia, 6-4, 4-6, 0-6, in the semifinals yesterday at the Rizal Tennis Center.

The 12th seed Alcantara, 16, started strong but wavered in the face of Puc’s fiery game, bowing to the second-ranked Slovenian after two hours and 10 minutes of battle.

Alcantara appeared headed for an upset when he masterfully won the first set, 6-4, then took a 2-0 lead in the second.

But Puc, 17, turned things around and salvaged the match, hammering powerful serves and crisp forehand winners.

“It was tough. He was tough,” said the 6-foot-3 Puc, who also made the semifinals last year but missed the final on a 2-6, 3-6 loss to eventual champion John Patrick Smith of Australia.

With a win over Alcantara, Puc arranged a final match with No. 4 Cho Soong Jae of Korea, who booted out top seed Andrew Thomas, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

In girls’ action, top seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand downed No. 4 Yang Zi Jun of Hong Kong, 7-6 (4), 6-2, to arrange a showdown with No. 10 Timea Babos of Hungary, a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) winner over No. 12 Nadiya Kichenok of Ukraine.

So dejected was Alcantara that he didn’t attend the post-game interview.

“I know it would be tough playing him (Alcantara), he fought really hard. But I came out physically stronger,” said Puc.

“He’s a good player and he has two years left in the juniors circuit, I know he’s going to improve,” said Puc, who has a chance to play Alcantara again next year since he still has one more year left in the 18-and-under circuit.

The Slovenian, who had never lost a set in the tourney until yesterday, hit his shots either too long or too wide in the first set and the early part of the second, enabling Alcantara to dictate the tempo.

Puc, however, got stronger as the match wore on.

“My game plan was to stretch the match to a third set because I know he’s tired after all the tough games he’d played here,” said Puc. “I wasn’t bothered by the heat, not at all. I wish it was hotter.” Puc displayed some court antics doing pushups twice late in the third set when Alcantara was treated for cramps.