Huey, partner gain US Open q’finals

TREAT Huey became the first Filipino to barge into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event in 32 years when his partnership with Dominic Inglot of Britain reached the men’s doubles final eight of the ongoing US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York.

Huey, the 28-year-old son of United Nations consultant Manina San Pedro, and his long-time partner Inglot upset third seeds Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez of Spain, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, and advanced against 10th seeds Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo of Brazil.

It was an impressive showing for the 16-ranked Huey and Inglot, who could only make the third round of this year’s French Open and Wimbledon, the second and third legs of the Grand Slam, which starts with the Australian Open and ends with the US Open.

Dodig and Melo earlier needed three sets to slip past Dergiv Stakhovsky of Ukraine and Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, 6-7 (9-7), 6-4, 6-4.

Huey’s feat matched the record of Beeyong Sison and his Swiss partner Markus Guenthardt who made the quarterfinals of the French Open in 1981.

“Treat’s performance will surely boost the confidence of the whole Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup team against New Zealand next week and even our opponents will watch out for him,” said Philippine Tennis Association president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez yesterday.

Huey earlier dropped his mixed doubles match in the second round with American partner Raquel Kops-Jones. They bowed to eight seeds Liezel Huber of the United States and Melo, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), (10-5).