Huey, partner crash out of Aussie Open doubles

MANILA, Philippines – Fil-Am Treat Huey and Slovenian Andreja Klepac saw their big-winning ways come to crashing halt after succumbing to American Coco Vandeweghe and Romanian Horia Tecau, 4-6, 4-6, yesterday in the semifinals of the mixed doubles of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for Huey and Klepac after the two brought down third seed Yung Jan Chan of Chinese Taipei and Rohan Bopanna of India, 6-2, 7-5, in last Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Vandeweghe and Tecau thus advanced to the finals and will play the winner of the other semis duel pitting top seed Sania Mirza of India and Ivan Dodig of Croatia and No. 5 Elena Vesnina of Russia and Bruno Soares of Brazil, who were playing at press time.

Despite the stinging defeat, Huey went home with the thought that his semis feat was the best finish by any Filipino in a Grand Slam event since Beetyong Sison made it to the 1981 French Open quarterfinals.

Huey also made it to the quarters in the men’s doubles where he partnered with Max Mirnyi of Belarus before falling to Canadian Daniel Nestor and Czech Radek Stepanek, 4-6, 4-6.

Huey, a veteran Davis Cupper, made it as far as the quarters of a Grand Slam twice, in the 2013 US Open and in this same event two years ago.