Fil-Am netter excited to play for country

Next to Cecil Mamiit, the RP men’s tennis team has a second ace up its sleeves. He’s Eric Taino, another Fil-American who looks just as tough, as strong and as determined to win the gold in the 23rd SEA Games.

The 30-year-old Taino, born in New Jersey but now based in Los Angeles, flew in late Wednesday evening with his American girlfriend Diana with high hopes of doing well in his first SEA Games performance.

"I’m excited and hopefully I can contribute to tennis in the Philippines and help develop it. I’m looking forward to a good showing and make everyone proud," he told The STAR.

"I’m excited to go. It’s been a couple of months knowing that we can play here. It’s good to be back in the country — and win, hopefully," added Taino after a morning practice at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Ranked No. 230 in the world, the left-handed Taino most likely will vie for the singles gold along with Mamiit, his fellow Fil-Am.

He started playing tennis at age five and has gone as high as 121 in the world ranking last year. Like Mamiit, Taino is a veteran of major competitions in the US and other countries as well.

"I’m feeling pretty good and I just finished an ATP tournament two weeks ago and took a couple days off.

I’m pretty healthy and excited as well," said Taino.

"I just hope the fans come over. I hope so," said Taino whose parents, his mother hailing from Bulacan and his father from Quezon, are coming over, too, to watch him play for the country.

There are seven gold medals at stake in tennis where action starts tomorrow. These are men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, men’s and women’s team events, and mixed doubles.

Head coach Martin Misa presided over yesterday’s practice. He said changes are still possible on whom to field in singles or doubles, and it will depend on the draw scheduled this afternoon.

The other members of the men’s team — local standouts Johnny Arcilla and PJ Tierro — have welcomed the inclusion of Mamiit and Taino in the team, which is out to break a gold-medal drought for the Philippines in the SEA Games.

"It’s really good for our confidence, knowing that you have two great players in the team. And we’re hoping for a good draw," said Arcilla, in his second SEA Games. He won the bronze in Kuala Lumpur in 2001.

Tierro, at 20 the youngest in the team, is just as excited in his first SEA Games. "It’s going to be fun. Eric and Cecil are here and they’re both very good. I think we have a chance in all events," he said.

Taino considers his match against Andre Agassi, during the 2003 Los Angeles Open as the most memorable.

"It was played at the UCLA where I went to school. It was a pretty nice experience. It was in the second round and I lost straight sets. It was pretty intimidating to play him because it was a night match and with a lot of people around.