Huey braces for French Open

Coming from a tough top 500 ATP tourney in Spain, Filipino tennis star Treat Huey is bracing himself for a breakthrough performance in the French Open at Roland Garros starting May 26.

The 27-year-old Huey, a doubles specialist who is the backbone of the country’s Davis Cup team, is expected to see action in doubles competitions either with long-time partner Dominic Inglot of Britain or youngster Jerzy Janowicz of Poland.

Ranked 26th in the world in doubles, Huey made big strides with Inglot, his partner since his University of Virginia days with whom he reached the third round at Roland Garros last year. Together they won the Nottingham Challenger in England and the Washington Challenger in their hometown also last year.

But Huey has been making impressive wins with Janowicz lately, including their finals appearance in the top-tier BNP Paribas in Indian Wells, where they beat brothers Andy and James Murray and the American tandem of Mardy Fish and James Blake.

However, Huey and Janowicz ran against formidable twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the championship where they took first set before yielding, 6-3, 3-6, (10-6).

Huey has never gone past third round of a Grand Slam event. He reached that stage just twice before, in the 2012 French Open and the 2011 US Open.