Tennis hope out to conquer world
By Joaquin Henson (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - The world is opening up for Cagayan de Oro tennis star Francis
Casey (Niño) Alcantara who has completed four years of US varsity eligibility and
is now ready to make his mark in the pro circuit.
Alcantara, 22, is back in Manila for a brief summer break and will return to Pepperdine
University next week to begin his last schoolyear of studies for a degree in communications.
While he has wound up his NCAA career, Alcantara stays on with the Pepperdine varsity
as a coach and trainer until his graduation. Where he will be based after finishing
at the Malibu school depends on his sponsors Rommie Chan, Oscar Hilado and Jean
Henri Lhuillier. clay.
“Right now, I’m not thinking of a career in communications even if I’m determined
to earn my degree,” said Alcantara. “I want to continue playing tennis. P. J. (Tierro)
is No. 1 in the Philippines and if given the chance, I’d like to aspire for that
ranking. I’ve played in two PCA Opens, reaching the semis and quarters. That’s a
tournament I’d like to win. I’ve played in seven Davis Cup ties for the Philippines
and representing our country is a big honor that if I’m qualified, I hope to continue
to do.”
Alcantara said breaking into the ATP and WTA circuit would be a dream come true.
As a junior U18 player, he played twice at the Australian and French Open and Wimbledon
and thrice at the US Open. In 2009, Alcantara made history by becoming the first
Filipino to capture a Grand Slam title after teaming up with Chinese-Taipei’s Hsieh
Cheng-peng for the Australian Open junior doubles championship. Alcantara was once
ranked No. 14 in the world as a singles junior player.
Alcantara made his Davis Cup debut in 2009 and has now played against Hong Kong,
Pakistan twice, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand. His record is 4-3 in
singles and 2-0 in doubles. “One of my most memorable Davis Cup matches was when
Treat (Huey) and I won our doubles match against New Zealand after we went down
0-2 in singles so we kept our hopes alive,” he said.
Chan, who has long supported Philippine tennis in a quiet way, said Alcantara has
the potential to become an outstanding player in the pros. “Maybe, Treat and Niño
could team up to play in Challenger tournaments,” he said. “That would be great
exposure for Niño. Also, it would prepare them for doubles play in future Davis
Cups.” Alcantara’s junior tennis coach Jun Toledo said there’s a bright future ahead
for the rising star. “No doubt, Niño is talented,” said Toledo. “He improved his
game at Pepperdine and he plays with a lot more confidence now. What I like about
Niño is he wants to share his knowledge. Now that he’s on summer break, he teaches
at the Philippine Tennis Academy and updates our coaches on the latest trends in
tennis. I’ve traveled with Niño around the world, visiting over 30 countries, when
he was a junior. I know his capabilities. He’s quick, he anticipates well, he’s
very intelligent. He’s the symbol of the young generation of Philippine tennis.”
Alcantara said he owes everything to Chan. “I was 12 when Tito Rommie came to Cagayan
de Oro and saw me play,” said Alcantara who was only 10 when his father Francis
died at 37 in 2002. “I remember Tito Rommie asked me if I wanted to be No. 1 in
the world. That changed my life. Tito Rommie gave me a break. I also owe a lot to
Godfrey Callao, an umpire at Rizal Memorial, and coach Jun.”
It was Chan who worked out an athletic scholarship for Alcantara at Fresno State
then Pepperdine. “I played two years at Fresno State,” said Alcantara. “I transferred
to Pepperdine for the last two years of my NCAA eligibility because I wanted to
upgrade my level of play. Fresno State plays in the top 40 while Pepperdine in the
top 10. At Pepperdine, we’ve got nine courts and the gym for all athletes is right
in the tennis complex. Our varsity was made up of players from all over the world,
from Australia, New Zealand, Ukraine, India, England, Brazil, Canada and Hawaii.
Tuition for Pepperdine is about $60,000 a year. So for four years, that comes up
to the equivalent of P10 Million. Through the assistance of my sponsors, I was able
to enroll as a scholar. It’s the best training anyone can get as a tennis player.
It’s free use of the courts, free coaching, unlimited supply of gear, free gym facilities
and free education. We train 21 hours a week, about three to four hours a day without
weekends. On our own, you can add more practice hours. My dorm is on campus. For
conditioning, we do a lot of stair work and run around our two-mile campus thrice
in the morning. In my senior year, we were ranked No. 8 in doubles and made it to
the NCAA quarterfinals. Being named to the All-American team was a big achievement.”
Aside from battling quality competition in the US, Alcantara said he also practiced
with visiting pros like France’s Benoit Paire, once the world’s No. 24 player, and
Germany’s Andre Begemann. “Both at Fresno State and Pepperdine, our kababayan would
show their support by watching my matches,” he said. “They’d stand in my corner
when I played. It’s a great feeling to play as a Filipino and give honor to our
country.”
Source: Philippine Star