Fil-Ams make mark in Iloilo MITF Open

MANILA, Philippines — A pair of young Fil-Am players from Las Vegas pulled off back-to-back three-set escapes, including a 2-6, 6-2, 10-6 reversal over recent Olivarez Cup champions Fritz Verdad and Rolly Saga to advance in the MITF National Open Tennis Championships men’s doubles at the Metropolis courts in Iloilo City yesterday.

Andre Alcantara and Xavier Calvejo recovered from a first-set stumble with a big romp in the next then flashed superb form while playing on a shell court for the first time. They wore down Verdad and Saga in a fierce duel in the decider to nail the first semifinals berth.

“We want to thank PPS (Palawan Pawnshop) for inviting us. It was a really great experience for me and my partner, Xavier Calvelo,” said Alcantara, 16, who has an ITF ranking of No. 500 in the US Rankings Sectional 2.