Sieber, partner bag runner-up plum in Turkey Futures

FILIPINO- GERMAN Marc Sieber and Austrian partner Michael Linzer claimed the runner-up trophy in the $10,000 Turkey Futures Tennis Tournament held at the GD Tennis Academy courts in Antalya.

The No. 2 pair of Sieber and Linzer surrendered a close 1-6, 7-6 (3), 5-10 decision to the unseeded Belgian duo of Julien Cagnina and Arthur de Greef of Belgium in the finals of the International Tennis Federation-sanctioned event.

“We don’t want to use his [ Linzer] injury as an excuse. We played great but they [Cagnina and de Greef] were just too strong in the tie break. Still, it’s a good result,” said the 24- year- old Sieber, a former Philippine Columbian As- sociation (PCA) Open champion.

Sieber and Linzer advanced to the finals by beating Germain Gigougon and Yannick Reuter of Belgium in the semifinals, 6- 2, 6- 2; Georgia’s Aleksandre Metreveli and George Tsivadze in the quarterfinals, 6-1, 7-6 (4); and Luca Margaroli of Switzerland and Andrea Patracchini of Italy in the first round, 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.

Sieber lost in the quarterfinals at the hands of Reuter, 2-6, 6-7 (6).

“I’m looking forward to play again in the Philippines. I’m a bit excited to see some old faces and play against some of the country’s best players,” said Sieber, who is scheduled to arrive next week to compete in the 2012 edition of the PCA Open.