Cramps-hit Alcantara crashes out

MANILA, Philippines - Francis Casey Alcantara, slowed down by cramps in the third and deciding set, lost to Matteo Civarolo of Italy, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, and bowed out in the third round of the 20th Mitsubishi Lancer ITF Junior Championships at the Rizal Tennis Center yesterday.

Alcantara, ranked 17th in the world and seeded second in the weeklong event, took the first set in impressive fashion but failed to sustain his form and dropped the next.

Still, he fought back in the third and even took 3-2 and 5-4 leads only to reel back after sustaining cramps.

“He’s a great player. I had a hard time with him at first but I just tried not to hurry up with my returns,” said Civarolo.

Seeing his rival struggle with his form, Civarolo stepped up the pace and unloaded a pair of aces in the 10th game that knotted the count at five before taking the final two games with a blistering forehand winner to snatch the victory.

So disappointed was the Cagayan de Oro City native, who won the doubles in the recent Australian Juniors Open, as he smashed his racket after the game.

The win set up the 16-year-old Civarolo against the winner of the No. 7 Maximillian Neuchrist of Austria-Muddapa Appanervanda of India showdown, still playing at presstime.

Serbian Tamara Curovic and Russian Ksenia Gospodinova upended No. 2 Beatrice Gumulya of Indonesia, 6-1, 6-4, and No. 11 Malou Ejdesgaard of Denmark, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

Qualifier Despina Papamichail of Greece downed No. 15 Melis Sezer, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4, to force a duel with No. 7 Polina Leykina of Russia, who trounced No. 10 Juang Ting Fei, 6-4, 7-5.

Top seed Timea Babos of Hungary, however, booted out No. 14 Nicha Lertpitaksinchai, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Babos faces No. 8 Grace Ysidora of Indonesia, who smashed Hong Seung Yeon, 6-1, 6-2.