Mamiit foils Huey for RP's last gold

MANILA, Philippines - It was the “Philippine championship” on foreign soil, and in the end 33-year-old Cecil Mamiit outlasted 24-year-old Treat Huey, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in a battle between two Davis Cuppers at the close of tennis competitions of the 25th Southeast Asian Games yesterday.

Playing before 2,000 empty seats at the outdoor tennis court of the National Sports Complex, Mamiit drew from his arsenal of ground strokes and crosscourt shots to hack out the three-set win over his younger teammate, who joined him in the Philippine Davis Cup team this year in its triumphant campaign against Hongkong, Pakistan and New Zealand this year.

Mamiit broke Huey in the seventh game to take the second set after dropping the first. Braving the noontime heat, Mamiit broke Huey again in the eighth game of the third set and wrapped it all up with a forehand volley.

Two Philippine mixed doubles pairs failed to make it an all-Filipino finale, both losing to Thai pairs in separate semifinal matches.

The tandem of Cecil Mamiit and Denise Dy bowed to Thamarine Thanasugarn and Sanchai Ratiwatana, 6-4, 6-2, while Huey and partner Riza Zalameda yielded to Wongeanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana, 6-3, 3-6, 10-8, in the other semifinal.

The Filipinos settled for the silver while the partnership of Wontaeanchai-Ratiwatana prevailed over their Thai teammates, 6-2, 3-6, 10-8, to win the gold in all-Thai final.

The Thais also denied the Filipinos gold in both the men’s and women’s doubles.

Twins Sonchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana edged Huey and Mamiit, 6-2, 5-7, 10-8, in the men’s doubles final, while Tamarine and Wongteanchai tripped Dy and Zalameda, 7-5, 6-4, in the women’s side.

The tennis team wound up its campaign with 2-3-5 gold-silver-bronze medals, finishing second behind Thailand (4-2-3).