BY EMIL C. NOGUERA CORRESPONDENT

Filipino-Americans Treat Conrad Huey and Cecil Mamiit posted contrasting victories in their respective semifinal games to forge an all-Filipino finals in the men’s singles of the 2009 Southeast Asean Games tennis competition in Vientiane, Laos.

The 23-year-old Huey advanced into the gold medal match by ousting reigning Asian champion Danai Udomchoke of Thailand, 7-5, 7-6, (6), before Mamiit assured the country’s 1-2 punch by beating Cambodia’s Tan Nysan, 6-1, 6-2.

Mamiit and Huey found themselves in a collision course anew with the Thai twin of Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana as they arranged a showdown for the men’s doubles gold.

Mamiit and Huey slipped past another pair in Udomchoke and Kittiphong Wachiramanawong, 7-5, 7-6 (2), in their semifinal duel.

For their part, the Ratiwatana siblings made short work of Indonesia’s Nesa Artha and Christopher, 6-2,
6-4, in the other semis match to forge a highly anticipated rematch with their Filipino nemesis.

Mamiit and Huey scored a dramatic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 win over the Thai twin during the deciding doubles to bag the men’s team gold on Saturday in a match where the final set needed almost two hours to be completed.

“It’s a rematch between us and Thailand and we know they’re aching to get back on us,” said team manager Randy Villanueva. “But we’re ready for them.”

Not as fortunate were lady netters Denise Dy and Riza Zalameda, who both settled for the bronze after losing their respective semifinal matches in the ladies singles.

Dy, silver medalist in the mixed doubles two years ago in Thailand, played with a left ankle injury to bow out against Lavinia Tananta of Indonesia, 7-5, 6-4, while another Indon, Ayu Fani Damayanti, booted out Zalameda, 6-3, 6-2.

Still in the hunt for the gold are the Mamiit-Dy and Huey-Zalameda tandems in the mixed doubles and the Dy-Zalameda pair in the women’s doubles after the latter beat the Indonesian duo of Ayu Fani Damayanti and Lavinia Tananta, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8), 10-5.