MANILA, Philippines - Francis Casey Alcantara, a doubles specialist, and Johnny Arcilla stunned the top-seeded Japanese duo of Katsuki Nagao and Hiromasa Oku, 6-2, 6-2, yesterday to clinch the crown in the 34th Philippine Columbian Association Open-Cebuana Lhuillier ITF Men’s Futures 2 at the PCA’s Plaza Dilao clay courts in Paco, Manila.
Alcantara, a former doubles champion in the Australian Juniors Open, played an inspired game for most of the one-sided match as he and Arcilla showed up their Japanese rivals to secure their first international crown as a pair.
“I’m happy to win in front of my countrymen,” said the 23-year-old Alcantara, who played college tennis at US NCAA Division 1 school Pepperdine.
Arcilla, for his part, considered the win as one of the biggest in his storied career.
“This is special because it’s my first doubles title in the ITF,” said Arcilla on their triumph in the meet supported by Cebuana Lhuillier, Puma, Dunlop, The Philippine STAR, Head, Babolat, Compass/IMOSTI and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.
For their feat, Alcantara and Arcilla took home $930.
In the earlier rounds, Alcantara and Arcilla beat Jeson Patrombon and Cheng Yu Yu of Chinese Taipei, 6-2, 6-2, Elbert Anasta and PJ Tierro, 6-4, 6-2, and Japan’s Soichiro Moritani and Masato Shiga, 6-1, 6-3.
It was a solid week for Alcantara, in particular, who made the quarterfinal round of the singles section.
In single’s action, top seed Enrique Lopez-Perez of Spain and No. 3 Kento Takeuchi of Japan pulled off pulsating three-set victories to forge an interesting title duel set at 10 a.m. today.
Lopez-Perez downed No. 4 Arata Onozawa, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, while Takeuchi rallied from a first set defeat to overcome compatriot No. 6 Makoto Ochi, 2-6, 6-0, 6-1.
The event is supported by Whirlpool/Fujidenzo, Broadway Motor Sales Corp., Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines, Tyrecorp Inc., Pearl Garden Hotel, Metro Global Holdings Corp. Avida, PVL Restaurant, Mary Grace Foods, Inc., Seno Hardware and Wire Rope Corp.