source: Kristel Satumbaga | mb.com.ph

Filipino Davis Cuppers lined up for the Group I first-round tie against Pacific Oceania in February will have no choice but to step up now that Fil-American veteran Cecil Mamiit has been assigned as a non-playing captain.

Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) Vice President Randy Villanueva said that Treat Huey, another Fil-Am, must be ready to fill in the void left by the 35-year-old Mamiit.

“Malaking changes ang mangyayari with the team. Treat has to be ready to play in singles and doubles matches when necessary,” said Villanueva, who is also the PH Davis Cup administrator.

Villanueva added that Mamiit, who has been the heart and soul of the team for the past six years, always steps up to steer the squad in the three-day, best-of-five ties.

Villanueva recalled an instance during its meeting with Taiwan last September when the Fil-Am netter dropped a marathon five-setter that lasted for four hours in the opening tie and came back the next day for another five-setter with Huey in doubles.

Another instance was in the relegation playoff against New Zealand last July, where Mamiit played the opening singles, the doubles match and the reverse singles.

Villanueva said Gonzales, also a Fil-Am, also has to step up with Huey to steer the squad while local bet Johnny Arcilla and former PH top junior netter Jeson Patrombon must be ready to play at all times.

“All of them will have a chance to get more playing time,” Villanueva said.

It would be the first time that the Filipinos would be facing Pacific Oceania, a squad which represents the island nations of Oceania.

Pacific Oceania is currently composed of Cyril Jacobe of Vanuatu, Brett Baudinet of Cook Islands, Juan Sebastian Langton of Samoa and Michael Leong of Solomon Islands.

They have never gone as far as Group I since competing in 1995, although Villanueva said most of the members are actively competing in ATP and ITF tournaments abroad.

source: gmanews.tv

It turned out the Southeast Asian Games could wait after all for Jeson Patrombon.

The 18-year-old Patrombon, through his personal coach Manny Teson, hinted at heeding the call of duty on Monday and expressed his desire to withdraw from the Thailand F5 Futures tournament in Phuket in favor of a flight back home to join the national team in training for the 26th Sea Games in Indonesia.

But Patrombon still competed in the tournament, winning his first-round match at the expense Thailand’s Grittaboon Prahmanee, 6-2, 6-1. His next opponent will be another Thai, Warit Sornbutnark, on Wednesday in the tournament that offers International Tennis Federation (ITF) points.

National team head coach Randy Villanueva has asked Patrombon to return to Manila and join his teammates in their last-stretch practice at home for the SEA Games.

“We are willing to sacrifice a possible good finish in both singles and doubles here in the Thailand Men’s Futures in favor of the Philippine team,” Tecson said the other day.

“I have already informed Jeson’s doubles partner Denis Lajola of the situation. Jeson and Dennis actually have a good chance to reach at least the semifinals or even the finals in the doubles because their draw is very favorable, plus the last time they teamed up they managed to reach the semifinals of the Laos Futures.”

But things turned out otherwise.

Patrombon remains outside the top 1,000 rankings in the world but with the points at stake in Thailand, he could break the top 800 after the tournament, according to Tecson.

The SEA Games tennis tournament in Palembang doesn’t start until Sunday, but Patrombon’s teammates are expected to leave Manila for Indonesia on Thursday.

“Jeson is in great form and all our training and practices are proving to be the key elements in his matches,” said Tecson. “This will again pick up his ranking and who knows if he does well here in the second leg he might break the top 800 world rankings after this tournament.”

“Mentally, Jeson is getting stronger in every match he is playing and I believe he can reach his first quarterfinals in the Pro circuit,” said Tecson. “This will be a big psychological and confidence booster for the young kid because it will be his first time this year to break into the quarters of singles.”

Patrombon will also vie in the doubles in Thailand on Wednesday with Lajola. They will face Filipino Marc Reyes and Belgian Mark Kolenberg. Reyes bowed out of the singles tournament, losing to Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. — JVP, GMA News

source: gmanews.tv

Jeson Patrombon chose flag over career advancement by deciding to withdraw from the Thailand Men’s Futures tournament and make himself available to the National men’s tennis team.

Patrombon, 18, was asked to join the men’s tennis team to the 26th Southeast Asian Games as early as possible. And he did.

The youngster’s personal coach Manny Tecson said national head coach Randy Villanueva wanted Patrombon to be with the team early enough.

“Mr. Villanueva requested Jeson to be with the team early so they could practice together before the start of the SEA Games on November 13,” said Tecson.

“He also informed me that the men’s team only has four members including Jeson that is why it would be better if Jeson arrives earlier,” he added.

Patrombon was scheduled to meet a Thai Monday at the start of the main draw in Phuket. He still could play that match, but would no longer be available for the second round.

The national tennis team is scheduled to leave with the main bulk of Team Philippines for Palembang from Manila on Thursday.

“We are willing to sacrifice a possible good finish in both singles and doubles here in the Thailand Men’s Futures in favor of the Philippine team,” said Tecson.

“I have already informed Jeson’s doubles partner Dennis Lajola of the situation. Jeson and Dennis actually have a good chance to reach at least the semifinals or even the finals in the doubles because their draw is very favorable, plus the last time they teamed up they managed to reach the semifinals of the Laos Futures.” – OMG, GMA News

source: Marc Anthony Reyes | inquirer.net

Jeson Patrombon has finally crashed the world’s top 1,000 tennis players. Manny Tecson, coach of the 18-year-old ace, said his ward now ranks No. 985 in the world, less than a year after turning pro.

“Our goal of breaking the top 1000 by year end in the ATP rankings has now been accomplished,” Tecson said in an e-mail to the Inquirer.

He said Patrombon’s ranking will likely rise by yearend since he managed to get through the main draws of the ITF Futures in Thailand, gaining an equivalent of seven ATP points. He also vied in Futures tournaments in Mexico and the United States.

Patrombon thus became the No. 2-ranked Filipino singles player, next only to Fil-Am Ruben Gonzales, who ranks No. 844.

Treat Huey ranks No. 59 in doubles but only 1,088th in singles. Cecil Mamiit retired from the pro tour last year.

Patrombon, who was ranked as high as No. 8 in world juniors and was quarterfinalist in this year’s Australian Open juniors singles, is competing in another Thai Futures where the top-seeded player is Danai Udomchoke, the world’s No. 204.

Patrombon came off a big upset over Korean Woong-Sun Jun, a former top 200 ATP netter, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) in the first round, but failed to sustain the momentum against Rochette. Prior to toppling Jun for his biggest win in the pros so far, the Iligan pride beat Hong Kong’s Wing-Lun Lam, 6-4, 4-6,7-6(2), in the qualifying round.

The 18-year-old Patrombon battled the more experienced Rochette toe-to-toe in the first eight games before the Frenchman broke the Filipino after eight deuces in the ninth en route to taking the first set, 6-4.

Patrombon managed to seize a 3-0 lead in the second but Rochette was better in handling the big points from thereon to secure the triumph, a follow-up to his 6-2, 6-3 disposal of the Phl ace in the previous week’s Laos F1 Futures.

“We will charge this lesson to experience,” said Manny Tecson, coach of the SEA Games-bound Patrombon. “And the great thing now is that Jeson is learning to be more competitive against these high-ranked and seeded players. He is no longer afraid or intimidated.”

Fil-Italian Marc Reyes suffered the same fate as Patrombon, bowing to Rohan Gajjar of India, 6-2, 6-2, in their two-and-a-half hour second-round encounter.

“Marc is striking the ball very solid and clean but still lacks the experience in constructing and managing the points and games of his matches,” Tecson said. – via Philstar

source: Olmin Leyba | philstar.com

Jeson Patrombon hacked out his biggest triumph as a pro, outlasting 6-foot-5 Korean Jun Woong-Sun in three grueling sets, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5), in the first round of the Thailand F4 Futures in Phuket, Thailand last Monday.

Qualifier Patrombon held his own against the big-serving and big-hitting Korean, a semifinalist in the previous week’s Laos Men’s Futures, en route to a Last-16 berth against No. 4 Laurent Rochete of France.

The SEAG-bound Filipino netter trailed at 3-5 in the tiebreaker of the third set but fought back to win the next four points and essay the come-from-behind victory.

Patrombon broke Jun’s serve following a big return and huge rally to close in at 4-5, then held on his two serves to reach match point at 6-5. The Phl ace then got the better of a hitting rally with Jun serving, unloading a well-time volley to close out the match.

“Jeson’s win was his first big win since turning pro this year in the ITF Men’s Circuit,” coach Manny Tecson said after the three-hour match. “(This) earned him his 7th ATP point of the year which will improve his world ranking.”

Filipino-Italian Marc Reyes struggled before marching into the second round at the expense of Thai qualifier Pruchya Isarow, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. He picked up his second ATP point in the process.

After a tight and tentative start that saw him yield the first set, Reyes regained his rhythm from middle of the second set onwards to steal the win and advance. He awaits the winner of the first-round match between No.7 Arata Onozawa of Japan and Rohan Gajjar of India.

The third Filipino in the US$10,000 netfest, Hawaii-based Dennis Lajola, withdrew from the competition due to a back injury he suffered in the Laos Futures, according to Tecson.