Milestone run in Aussie open ends in semis for Huey

FILE — Treat Conrad Huey of the Philippines / AFP / BAY ISMOYO

TREAT Huey and Slovenian partner Andreja Klepac ended their milestone run at the Australian Open on Friday, bowing in the mixed doubles semifinals to the pair of Horia Tecau and Coco Vandeweghe, 6-4, 6-4.

Playing as curtain-raisers to the day’s blockbuster matches at Rod Laver Arena, Huey and Klepac simply found no answer to their foes’ unbreakable service games.

Still, the feat was unprecedented for the 30-year-old Filipino-American, who gained the admiration of the match commentators for being “the first Filipino to make the semifinals of a [men’s] Grand Slam event.”

“It was a big thrill for me playing my first semifinal in a Grand Slam,” Huey told the Inquirer. “Great run here in the Australian Open and great start to the season.”

Huey, whose mother is a Filipino based in Virginia, was in his elements, scoring off weak returns at the net to complement the solid groundstrokes of his partner.

But Tecau of Romania, the reigning Wimbledon men’s doubles champion, and the American Vandeweghe leaned on their superb service game and faced break point just twice in the match.