Mamiit, doubles teams keep gold hopes alive

NAKHOM RATCHASIMA – Second seed Cecil Mamiit knocked out Vietnamese Ngo Quang Huy, 6-4, 6-2, and advanced to the men’s singles semifinals following Erik Taino’s 2-6, 6-7 defeat to top seed Danai Udomchoke yesterday in the Southeast Asian Games tennis competitions at the Main Stadium tennis center here.

With the Thailand winning the men’s and women’s team gold, Mamiit hopes to win the individual gold but he will be up anew against Udomchoke, who defeated him in the singles of the team competitions last week.

Udomchoke remained on course of a finals berth following yesterday’s win over Taino.

In the women’s singles, Diane Matias also missed the ride to the semis, losing to Thai Lertcheewakaran, 6-2, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.

The Philippines’ other hopes for a gold medal are in the mixed doubles and the men’s and women’s doubles.

Matias and Taino clobbered the Malaysian tandem, 6-2, 6-2, in the quarterfinal.  Also advancing to the quarterfinals are Matias and Denise Dy in women’s doubles and Taino and Mamiit in men’s doubles. – Gerry Carpio