Gonzales boosts PH Davis Cup bid with ITF victory

FILIPINO Ruben Gonzales scored a major coup overseas on Saturday, teaming up with American Catalin Gard to win the men’s doubles in the ITF France Futures 13 in Bourg-en Bresse.

Gonzales, the 30-year-old stalwart of the Cebuana Lhuillier-Philippine Davis Cup team, and Gard fought back to deny Marc Fornell Mestres of Spain and Lamine Ouahab of Algeria, 2-6, 6-3, (10-7), and bag his second ITF title this year.

Gonzales also won an ITF doubles crown in Mexico last May in partnership with Darian King of Barbados.

His victory came days after teammate Treat Huey paired up with Max Mirnyi of Belarus to reach the Wimbledon semifinals, where they lost to top seeds Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Huey and Gonzales arrived yesterday to bolster the team in the Asia-Oceania Group 2 tie with Chinese Taipei on July 15 to 17 at PCA courts in Paco. Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon complete the team of non-playing captain Karl Santamaria. Marc Reyes