Huey, partner move to mixed doubles semis in Australian Open

MANILA, Philippines – Fil-Am Treat Huey and Slovenian Andreja Klepac brought down third seed Yung Jan Chan of Chinese Taipei and Rohan Bopanna India, 6-2, 7-5, on Wednesday to advance to the semifinals in the mixed doubles of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The win sent Huey and Klepac to the semis where the duo will play American Coco Vandeweghe and Romanian Horia Tecau, who made it through by edging No. 2 of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Bob Ryan, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-6.

Huey's semis stint thus became the best finish by a Filipino in a Grand Slam event since Biyong Sison made it to the 1981 French Open.

Huey's recent win also made up for his heartbreaking quarterfinal exit in the men's doubles after he and partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus fell to Canadian Daniel Nestor and Czech Radek Stapenek, 4-6, 4-6, the day before.

Prior to this year, Huey, who has represented the Phl in the Davis Cup for more than a decade now, made it as far as the quarters of a Grand Slam twice, in 2013 US Open and this same event two years ago.

But he never made it past the quarters in both.

Until Huey found Klepac as his mixed doubles partner and made it this far.