Filipino tennis sensation Niño Alcantara has catapulted himself further up the world rankings, climbing from 176 to an impressive 162 after a recent surge of success on the international circuit. Alcantara's stellar three-week stretch saw him clinch the title of Doubles Champion at the ITF India tournament, followed by strong showings in the Doubles Semi-final at the Challenger event in Bengalaru, India.
During the Doubles Championship round at the ITF India Tournament, the Filipino prodigy partnered with Indonesian Christopher Rungkat, and conquered Russian-Indian duo Bogdan Bobrov and Adil Kalyanpur 6-4, 6-2 earning them the title of Champion. 2 weeks later, Alcantara was partnered with Japanese Tennis player Kaichi Uchida and reached the Semi-Final round. The Fil-Jap duo was matched against Indian duo Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan but lost in a nail-biting 2-6, 6-2, 7-10 score.
Yesterday, Alcantara and Japanese Yuta Shimizu, bowed to the duo of Chinese Taipei Ray Ho and Australian Calum Puttergill in a close yet heartbreaking 7-5, 6-4 ending their Delhi Open journey. The Chinese-Australian finished with 67 points while the Fil-Jap tandem only acquired 55 points.
Jean Henri Lhuillier, the head of Unified Tennis Philippines and Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO who has rallied behind and supported Alcantara since Day 1, conveyed his deep respect for Alcantara's pursuit of greatness. "Niño's rise in the global rankings just shows how dedicated, devoted, and talented he is. We stand by him a hundred percent and are eagerly waiting for his next achievement.”
Niño Alcantara himself could not believe his rise in world ranking saying that “I’m just here to play and give my best whether it’s locally or in the international scene. I am glad though that my efforts are being noticed and recognized not just by my fellow Filipinos, but on the international stage as well.”-Marlon Bernardino-
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