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Tennis: Gonzales, Stalder lose in Georgia’s Rome Challenger final

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Rosy Mina

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Ruben Gonzales of the Philippines and Reese Stalder of the United States finished as runners-up in the Georgia’s Rome Challenger doubles event in the U.S. Photo courtesy of Ruben Gonzales on Instagram." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/07/17/tennis.jpg"/><figcaption>Ruben Gonzales of the Philippines and Reese Stalder of the United States finished as runners-up in the Georgia’s Rome Challenger doubles event in the U.S. Photo courtesy of Ruben Gonzales on Instagram.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA – No. 2 seeds Ruben Gonzales of the Philippines and Reese Stalder of the United States settled for a runner-up finish versus No. 4 seeds Enzo Couacaud of France and Andrew Harris of Australia, 4-6, 2-6, in the final of Georgia’s Rome Challenger in the United States on Saturday.Despite the loss, Gonzales wrote on an Instagram post, “I’m very proud of how we battled back as a team after a tough few weeks.”Their recent ATP Challenger Tour results include opening-round exits in Oeiras, Portugal and Malaga, Spain as well as quarterfinal finishes in Orlando, U.S. and Porto, Portugal.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/21/22/sea-games-gonzales-huey-win-mens-doubles-tennis-gold">READ: Gonzales, Huey overwhelm compatriots to notch men’s doubles gold</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/01/22/tennis-huey-gonzales-bag-savannah-challenger-title">READ: Huey, Gonzales bag Savannah Challenger title</a></li></ul>In their doubles final on Court 4 of the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, Gonzales and Stalder kept up with Couacaud and Harris until they were broken by the French-Australian duo to advance to 4-3.Gonzales and Stalder fought back by earning three break points in the next game, but Couacaud and Harris held on with a forehand winner to be at 5-3.Serving for the set at 5-4, Couacaud and Harris claimed the first set, 6-4, after the Filipino-American tandem hit a backhand volley error.Up a set and two breaks at 4-1, Couacaud and Harris were broken after letting out a backhand error.The French and Australian broke back, courtesy of a backhand error, to serve for the match at 5-2.Gonzales and Stalder earned two break points in the decisive eighth game, but Couacaud and Harris saved both for the win, 6-2, by serving an ace then forcing a long backhand serve return. In the first round, Gonzales and Stalder dispatched Americans Ezekiel Clark and Joshua Sheehy, 6-3, 7-6(1).They routed Aleksandar Kovacevic of the U.S. and Michail Pervolarakis of Greece, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals and No. 3 seeds Rinky Hijikata of Australia and Yu Hsiou Hsu of Chinese Taipei, 7-6(4), 7-5, in the semifinals.In May, Gonzales bagged the Southeast Asian Games men’s doubles gold medal with Treat Huey after prevailing in the all-Filipino final over defending champions Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon.Gonzales and Huey also saw success in April, when they won their first doubles title together in the U.S. at the Savannah Challenger.As Gonzales battled on the hard courts in Georgia this week, Huey carried on with his grass season after suffering a first-round five-setter loss in Wimbledon with Franko Skugor of Croatia.Huey teamed up with Radu Albot of Moldova for a 1-6, 4-6 quarterfinal finish at the ATP Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island against John-Patrick Smith of Australia and Ramkumar Ramanathan of India.Another Filipino who competed overseas this week is Michael Francis “Miko” Eala, who got past three qualifying matches and had a second-round 0-6, 2-6 result versus Abedallah Shelbayh of Jordan at the M15 Monastir in Tunisia.The Pennsylvania State University player and older brother of International Tennis Federation teen champion Alexandra “Alex” Eala made his professional debut in Vietnam last month.

Ruben Gonzales of the Philippines and Reese Stalder of the United States settled for a runner-up finish in the final of Georgia’s Rome Challenger.