By MARK REY MONTEJO
Veteran Francis Casey Alcantara and Thai partner Pruchya Isaro stamped their class over Chinese Taipei’s Yu Hsiou and China’s Sun Fajing, 6-4, 6-3, to book their ticket to the finals of the Zhangjiagang International Challenger in China Friday, Aug. 30.
Alcantara and Isaro needed one and a half hour to seal the deal, pushing them a win away from clinching the doubles title of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) competition.
The Filipino-Thai duo arranged a final showdown against Japan’s Kaichi Uchida and Takeru Yuzuki, who survived Belarus’ Mikalai Haliak and Slovakia’s Lukas Pokorny, 7-6 (9), 6-3, in the semifinals.
Tied at 1-1 in the first frame, Alcantara and his Thai partner shifted their gear a notch higher, winning the next three games for a 4-1 lead and eventually secured the set despite their rivals’ comeback bid.
The Filipino-Thai team’s onslaught continued in the second canto that saw them race to a 5-2 lead.
Alcantara and Isaro made it to the semis after dismantling Australia’s Ajeet Rai and Finn Reynolds, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 10-6) in the quarterfinals.
They also beat the Japanese pair of Rio Noguchi and Seita Watanabe, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 10-7, in the Round of 16.
With the triumph, the Asian Games bronze medalist bolstered his bid for 26th overall and fourth doubles crown this year.
