Mamiit, mixed doubles team gain tennis final

NAKHON RATCHASIMA – Fil-American Cecil Mamiit advanced to another showdown with top Thai netter Danai Udomchoke as they clash for the singles gold today in the men’s singles of the 24th Southeast Asian Games tennis competitions at the Main Stadium tennis center.

Mamiit waylaid Cambodia’s Nysan Tan, 6-0, 6-2, and reached the finals against Udomchoke who blazed past Elbert Sie of Indonesia, 6-4, 6-0.

This will be the second confrontation and the fourth overall between Mamiit, the second seed, and Udomchoke, the top seed, who took a 6-4, 6-4 win over the Fil-American in the men’s singles of the team competitions last week.

Mamiit defeated Udomchoke in two singles matches in the 2005 SEA Games in Manila to win two of the country’s three golds in the sport.

Udomchoke, a top candidate for the Most Popular Athlete Award in Thailand, played a near-faultless baseline game as he tamed the big-serving Fil-American who is expected to spice his groundstrokes with forays at the net to contain the Thai.

Mamiit and Denise Dy also advanced to the finals of the mixed doubles, eliminating Thai partners Sonchai Ratiwatana and Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-4, 6-0. They missed an all-Filipino final in the event as the Thai pair of Sonchat Ratiwatana Napaporn Tongsalee crushed Diane Matias and Eric Taino, 6-2, 6-2, in the other semifinal match.

The men’s and women’s doubles teams are also on course for a gold medal. The pair of Johnny Arcilla-Patrick John Tierro and Mamiit-Taino, the second seed, were scheduled to play in the quarterfinals against an Indonesian duo yesterday.

Also scheduled to play in yesterday’s women’s doubles quarterfinals were Dy and Matias against Vietnam’s Huyn Mai Hunynh and Ngo Viet Hu in the higher bracket and Czarina Mae Arevalo-Michelle Pang against the Thailand’s Suchanun Viratprasert and Nungnadda Wannasuk in the lower bracket.