Tough opener for Huey, Inglot

FILIPINO Davis Cup stalwart Treat Huey and his British partner Dominic Inglot face a tough first-round assignment in last year’s semifinalists Max Mirnyi and Horia Tecau in the men’s doubles competition of the Australian Open which fires off today in Melbourne.

Huey is the only local campaigner in the Grand Slam event, although Johnny Arcilla and Clarice Patrimonio saw action in the Australian Amateur Open which served as one of the side tournaments.

The 27-year-old Huey, who is set to lead the Philippines’ Davis Cup campaign against Syria next month in Lapu Lapu City, ranks 35th in the world in doubles. He reached the second round of the Australian Open last year and the third round of 2011 US Open—his best Grand Slam showing so far.

Inglot is ranked 39th. The former University of Virginia partners have won several ATP Challenger events the past two years.

Mirnyi and Tecau are seeded fourth this year.

Mirnyi, who hails from Belarus, ranks No. 7 in world doubles and has six Grand Slam titles—four in the French Open and two in the US Open—with different partners.

Tecau is No. 8 in the world and their partnership reached the final of a tuneup event, the Apia International in Sydney where they lost to the powerhouse American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, 6-4, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Filipino 13-year-old wonder Alberto Lim Jr., skipped the Australian Open after his coach, Manny Tecson, decided to use up his last two allowable tournaments by fielding him in the Mitsubishi Open here and another “B1” juniors event in India.

ITF rules allow 13-year-olds to play only 10 events a year and Lim has already played eight of them, winning one in the Phinma juniors late last year.