Jeson Patrombon and his Japanese partner Keisuke Watanuki kept their doubles title bid alive by barging into the semifinals of the Malacca ITF International Championships in Malaysia.

Patrombon and Watanuki played aggressively at the net to outclass the Chinese duo of Leng Yun-hao and Zhang Zhuo, 6-2, 6-2.

The pair, who earlier dumped Brunei’s Aiman Abdullah and Sweden’s Markus Schultz, 6-3, 6-2, collides with fourth pick Malaysians Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaan and Mohd Assri Meizuki.

Patrombon, 16, however, was beaten in the singles event by Nishioka in the second round, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Marinel Rudas, the other RP bet in the week-long event, also advanced to the semis of the girls’ doubles event as she and partner, Japanese Hitomi Naito, scored a stunning 1-6, 6-3, 13-11 victory over third pick Teiwa Casey of Australia and Tracy Dong of Canada.

Rudas, however, also lost her singles event, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to Tiraganok in the first round.