Two Philippines men’s pairs reach semifinals

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino netters continued to wage a battle against a tough field in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, clinching two more sure bronze medals through two men’s pairs in doubles play at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

US-based Filipino bets Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales teamed up in a 6-3, 6-3 thrashing of Malaysians Asam Shahril and Naguib Syed, 6-3, 6-3, while Jeson Petrombon and Francis Alcantara dumped Indonesian brothers David and Ignatiu Susanto, 6-4 6-0, to move to the semifinal round.

They are the country’s remaining hopes for the gold in tennis as Alberto Lim. Jr. and Patrombon crashed out of the hunt in singles in morning play yesterday.

Lim bowed to top seed Nguyen Daniel Cao from Vietnam, 3-6 4-6, and Patrombon yielded to another Vietnamese Hoang Nam Ly, 7-5 1-6 3-6. 

“Actually I was okay as I was the one dictating the pace. Kaya lang nung second set I conserved energy,” rued Patrombon, losing the second set, the momentum and eventually the match.

In the third set, the 26-year-old just couldn’t get into the groove anymore.

Nonetheless, the Ilagan native expressed happiness with the bronze.

“Masaya naman kasi nakakuha pa rin naman ng medal. Worth it yung pagod, hindi ako nagsisisi. Close fight naman lahat ng games ko,” he said. 

He vows to go all out today.

“Simula bukas, doubles na lang ang lalaruin ko so ibubuhos ko na talaga,” he said. “Panalo kami so may kumpyansa ulit at may chance kami mag finals,” he said.

In the women’s doubles, Denise Dy and Khim Iglupas dropped their match against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej and Luksika Kumkhum, 1-6, 0-6.