Philippine women’s tennis duo advances to SEA Games final

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will get a shot at obtaining another gold medal after the duo of Denise Dy and Katharina Lehnert beat Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and Tamarine Tanasugarn in the semifinals of the 28th Southeast Asian Games Women’s Doubles competition at the Kallang Tennis Centre in Singapore on Saturday, June 13. 

After dropping the first set 1-6, the Philippine team rallied and won set two, 6-2. The third set was a nail-bitter that required extra games to determine a winner, with Dy and Lehnert prevailing, 10-8.

The Philippine team will take on Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewakarn and Varatchaya Wongteanchai on Sunday, June 14, with the gold medal on the line.

Dy, 26, has already won 2 bronzes in the SEA games in 2007 and 2011 and was a gold medalist in the 2011 SEA Games when she won the mixed doubles tennis competition. 

Lehnert, 21, who owns both German and Philippine nationalities (the latter thanks to her mother, Imelda), was the bronze medalist in this year’s women’s singles tennis competition. 

In an earlier match, the men’s doubles duo of Ruben Gonzales Jr. and Jeson Patrombon were defeated by Thailand’s Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana in the finals of the men’s doubles, 2-0. The 22-year-old Patrombon and 29-year-old Gonzales earned silver. 

The Thai duo won both sets with scores of 6-4.

The women’s doubles final takes place at 12:30 pm, but Dy and Treat Huey will meet Thailand at 10AM on Sunday in the mixed double’s gold medal match.

The Philippines also earned silver on Tuesday when Lehnert and Dy teamed with Anna Patrimonio and Khim Iglupas.

The Philippines has 4 bronze medals in tennis, from Patrombon and Lehnert in the men’s and women’s singles events, Huey and Francis Alcantara in men’s doubles and the Philippine team in the men’s team event.

Tennis was not included in the 2013 Games, while the Philippines won mixed doubles gold in 2011 when Huey and Dy topped that event in Indonesia.

– Rappler.com