SEA Games: Treat Huey, Ruben Gonzales win men’s doubles gold as Filipinos go 1-2

MANILA, Philippines — Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales captured the men’s doubles gold after getting the best of fellow Filipinos Jeson Patrombon and Francis Casey Alcantara, 6-1, 6-4, in the final of the 31st Southeast Asian Games on Saturday at Hanaka Sports and Service Center in Vietnam.

Huey and Gonzales exacted a sweet revenge on Patrombon and Alcantara, who took them down in the gold medal match of the 2019 SEA Games.

The pair delivered the first gold medal of the Philippine tennis team, which has also hauled a silver from Patrombon and Alcantara and four bronze medals in the women’s singles courtesy of Alex Eala, mixed doubles, men’s and women’s team events.

Huey and Gonzales unleashed a dominant start to draw the first blood. But the previous SEA Games champions didn’t go down without a fight, crawling back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set to keep their  compatriots within striking distance.

However, Huey and Gonzales displayed their dominance to close out the second set with the former serving the gold medal-clinching point. The four Filipinos hugged at center court right after their match.

Gonzales and Huey took down Vietnam’s Giang Trinh Linh and Mihn Tuan Pham in the semifinal, 6-4, 6-2, on Friday.

Patrombon and  Alcantara scored a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over another Vietnamese pair, Quoc Khan Le and Văn Phuong Nguyen in the other semis match to set a second straight Final duel with Gonzales and Huey.

Huey also has two bronze from the mixed doubles, pairing with teen sensation Eala, and in the men’s team competition with Gonzales, Patrombon, and Eric Olivarez Jr.

Inquirer’s special coverage of the Hanoi SEA Games 2021.

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TAGS: Francis Alcantara, Hanoi SEA Games, JESON PATROMBON, Ruben Gonzales, Treat Huey

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