Fil-Ams play inspired game, enter team final

The Philippines finally figured in its first tennis gold medal match in six years behind the heroics of Fil-Ams ATP campaigners Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

Mamiit and Taino stamped their class on Thai twin brothers Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana in the singles matches, powering the Philippines to the finals of the men’s tennis team event at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Johnny Arcilla and Patrick John Tierro completed the sweep for the Philippines as they retired Sonchat and Weerapat Doakmaiklee in the doubles.

The Philippines, which last played and won a SEAG championship match through Maricris Fernandez in ladies singles in 1999 in Brunei, advanced to the men’s team finals either against reigning titlist Indonesia or Vietnam which were still playing at press time.

With the RP men conquest of the Thais, Team Philippines is assured of at least a silver medal and an improvement from a poor lone-bronze harvest in Vietnam in 2003.

Mamiit and Taino, both pro tour campaigners, made it possible on their contrasting victories over the Ratiwatana twins. Taino rallied from a first-set defeat in overcoming Sanchai, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, while Mamiit pounded Sonchat, 6-3, 6-4.

Danai Udomchoke, who is ranked No. 129 in the world, was originally listed to take on Mamiit. But Udomchoke, the singles gold medal winner in Vietnam two years ago, was a no show as he was reportedly still campaigning in London.

Sonchat proved to be an easy prey for Mamiit, a US-based netter who traces his roots in Laguna and Quezon.

Ranked 211st in the world, the stocky Mamiit hacked 10 aces and completed his easy high-noon demolition of his Thai rival in just a little over an hour.

"I was so excited and had a lot of energy. I knew I gonna receive a lot of love and a lot of support, and I just tried to figure it out how to use it to my advantage," said Mamiit, who obviously enjoyed his first match before the Filipino crowd.

"I enjoyed the atmosphere. It really helped my game," he added.

Facing little challenge from Sonchat, Mamiit, who once defeated tennis superstar Andre Agassi, played with the crowd as he was about to finish off his Thai rival.

He jigged with a big smile on his face to cheers from the hometown spectators as he broke Sonchat to surge ahead to stay at 3-2.

Taino delivered the first win but not after surviving a scare from Sanchai in their rain-interrupted match in the morning.

The 30-year-old lefty needed to fight back from a first-set loss and only took full command of the contest when Sanchai was hit by cramps in the deciding set.