Top-seeded Spaniard ends PH bid

Francis Casey ALCANTARA. Photo from ITFTennis.com

Francis Casey Alcantara threw everything he could against Enrique Lopez-Perez but the top-ranked Spaniard found an answer to every shot thrown at him.

The 23-year-old Alcantara slid with a slice drop by the net, slammed forehand cross-courts winner and curled top spins down the line in their quarterfinal encounter Friday.

But in the end, it was Lopez-Perez who hit the shots that mattered most, winning 6-3, 6-3.

“He’s too good, that’s what happened,” said Alcantara, the last Filipino to bow out of the 34th Philippine Columbian Association Open-Cebuana Lhuillier ITF Men’s Futures 2 at PCA clay courts in Paco, Manila.

“I’m happy with the way I played my game, I returned well. But he was very patient,” added the 2009 Australian Open boys’ doubles champion and former NCAA Division 1 player for Pepperdine University.

It was his best finish in a Futures tournament after making the second round in the Futures 1 last week in Valle Verde.

“Hopefully I get enough points to make qualifying in next ITF Futures,” said Alcantara, who is hoping to compete in three Futures events in Cambodia in the coming weeks.

Lopez-Perez kept the ball long and didn’t rush things until Alcantara made crucial errors to yield serve and hand the top seed the opening set.

Alcantara’s chances looked brighter after the Spaniard appeared tired as the Filipino broke at love in the opening game of the second set.
But Alcantara double-faulted in the next game, allowing Lopez-Perez to break back and hold serve.

The Filipino then blasted with an ace before holding at love in the next game for 2-2.  He also challenged the Spaniard’s serve, firing a cross-court winner to force deuce only to see Lopez-Perez escaping after Alcantara’s slew of errors.

Alcantara tied the match anew at 3-3 with some nifty volleys by the net but he soon ran out of tricks against Lopez-Perez, ranked 350th in the world.

Lopez-Perez will next take on Arata Onozawa of Japan who eliminated India’s Kunal Anand, 6-1, 6-1.

As a consolation, Alcantara and Johnny Arcilla advanced to  the doubles semifinals after outlasting compatriots Patrick John Tierro and Elbert Anasta,
6-4, 6-2.