PHL tennis’ Huey, partner from Belarus just misses Wimby final

 

(Editor’s note: The match was watched via cable television)

 

MANILA (The Filipino Connection)–Filipino doubles player Treat Conrad Huey and Max Mirnyi of Belarus just missed making the finals of Wimbledon’s men’s doubles event, but not after providing a scare to their favored opponents from France.

Huey and Mirnyi, seeded 12th, almost pulled the upset ax against the tournament’s top seeds Pierre-

Filipino tennis ploayer Treat Conrad Huey and partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus reached the finals of this year's Wimbledon. Both are shown here in this file photo when they ruled the Acapulso Open earlier this March in Mexico (photo by ____________,).

Filipino tennis player Treat Conrad Huey and partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus reached the finals of this year’s Wimbledon. Both are shown here in this file photo when they ruled the Acapulso Open earlier this March in Mexico (photo by Dasaev Teilez).

Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 4-6 in their semifinal match.

Had Huey and Mirnyi won the match, it would have marked the first time a Filipino tennis player makes the finals of a Grand Slam event in the seniors division.

The third set proved to be a crucial point of the match. It was a nip-and-tuck affair up until both pairs reached the tie reak. And when Huey served for a second set point at 6-3 in the third set tiebreak, Mirnyi returned a Mahut shot with a short righthand volley for the 7-3 score and a 2 sets-to-one lead.

Huey, serving in the seventh game of the fourth set, almost faltered when the French pair threatened with a set point. But Huey regained his composure to give him and Mirnyi a 4-3 spread. However, the top seeds broke Mirnyi’s serve in the ninth frame for 5-4 as Huey returned a Herbert serve to the net. The match got tied two sets apiece.

The fifth set proved how tight the match was with both pairs tied after eight games. In the ninth game and with the Filipino serving, Huey had two unforced errors and double-faulted at 30-40 to give the 5-4 lead to the Frenchmen. Mahut served an ace in the tenth frame of the final set to end the over-three hour match at 6-.

The top-seeded Herbert and Mahut will face unseeded compatriots Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Julien Benneteau in the final. Vasseli and Benneteau survived South Africa’s Raven Klaasen and the US’ Rajeev Ram, 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (5).

Huey had previously reached the mixed doubles semifinals of last January’s Australian Open, teaming up with Andreja Klepac of Slovenia. Huey and Klepac lost in straight sets to American Coco Vandeweghe and Romanian Horia Tecau, 4-6, 4-6. The semifinal feat was worth US$20,000 each for Huey and Klepac.

But thrice Huey had reached the quarterfinals in the men’s doubles of Grand Slam events: twice in the Australian Open (2014 with British player Dominic Inglot, and this year with  Mirnyi) and the US Open (2013 with Inglot).

Huey had won seven Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) titles with Mirnyi, Inglot and Scott Lipsky of the US as partners. Huey had also earned nine runner up finishes in the ATP circuit. As of this writing, Huey is 24th and Mirnyi 25th in men’s doubles worldwide.

The Filipino, in both singles and doubles, had won some US$1.132 million in his career.

 

 

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About Jeremaiah Opiniano