Mamiit gives RP tennis a rebirth

Cecil Mamiit added last night the men’s singles gold medal to the men’s team crown the Philippines earlier won, marking a renaissance of sort for RP tennis in the 23rd SEA Games at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The second-seeded Mamiit outsteadied and outlasted Thai top-ranked Danai Udomchoke in a fierce baseline battle, hacking out a gut-wrenching 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory for the men’s singles championship.

It was the first men’s singles gold medal won by the Philippines in the biennial games since Felix Barrientos led the RP team to a three-gold romp in the 1991 Manila Games.

And with Eric Taino and Riza Zalameda winning their mixed doubles semifinals match with the Thai pair of Sanchai Ratiwatana and Montinee Thangphong, Team Philippines could well be on its way to surpassing or matching the country’s showing in the 1991 Games.

Mamiit and Taino were also fancied to beat the Indonesian tandem of Prima Simpatiaji and Sunu Wahyu Trijati in their men’s doubles semifinals duel later in the night.

But the golden-double by Mamiit has already assured the Philippines of its best performance in the last seven stagings of the regional meet.

Mamiit found the going tough for the first time in the Games but scraped past his tough Thai rival to the delight of a huge weekend crowd.

Not even a number of policemen and security personelle could stop the rush of a surging crowd which literally tore down the metal gate fronting the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) office. Tarpaulin streamers in the venue were also pulled down so that spectators from the nearby swimming venue and the Philta building could get a glimpse of the match.

And Mamiit made their day.

"This is just my simple way of repaying my countrymen for all the love they’ve given me," said Mamiit afterwards.

"I think this is the best tennis I’ve ever played. I felt I got better and better. (Danai and I) were talking after the match and we agreed it was a perfect time for tennis. I really enjoyed it here, the crowd, the support. I’m glad I delivered," he added.

Serving for the match, Mamiit hammered an ace and pounded Udomchoke for three errors to take the rain-interrupted match in almost three hours.

Mamiit humbled his long-time Thai rival in front of several Thai VIPs who watched the match together with Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. and Philippine Sports Commission chairman William "Butch" Ramirez.

But the Thai came out full of fight in the second set, overcoming a 1-3 deficit to force the deciding set.

Udomchoke, at No. 129 the highest ranked ATP campaigner in the field, looked headed for a roll when he drew first blood in the third set then gained breakpoint in the next game.

But Mamiit forced a deuce then slammed two straight winners to salvage the game and seize the momentum to win the set and the match that triggered near pandemonium in the jampacked venue.

Just like the previous days, Mamiit and his fans danced to the tune of Pinoy Ako by Orange and Lemon in the frenzied celebration.

It was the first time in the games that Mamiit played three sets.

Earlier, Taino and Zalameda crushed Ratiwatana and Thangphong, 6-2, 6-3, to give the country a third crack at a gold medal in the mixed doubles.

The Philippines missed a shot at the gold in women’s doubles as Zalameda and Denise Dy lost to Wynne Prakusya and Romana Tedjakusuma, 2-6, 7-4, 3-6, earlier in the day.