Marinel Rudas and Japanese partner Hitomi Naito bowed to the topseeded pair of Ekaterina Klyueva of Russia and Anastasiya Prenko of Turkmenistan, 6-1, 6-3, in the finals of the Malacca ITF International Championships in Malaysia.

Partners for the first time, the unseeded Rudas and Naito struggled in the face of Klyueva and Prenko’s determined challenge to settle for runner up worth 20 ranking points in the Grade 4 event.

It was, however, Rudas’ first finals appearance in any ITF competition that also made up for her first-round exit in the singles event.

“Marinel and her partner came unseeded in the event and they upset some high-ranked opponents. Despite the loss, her confidence is beaming and I know she will do well in her next competition,” RP coach Manny Tecson said.

Rudas and Naito surprised second pick Voni Darlina of Indonesia and Gornganok Tiraganok of Thailand, 6-2, 6-2, in the semifinals and stunned Australian Teiwa Casey and Canadian Tracy Gong, 1-6, 6-3, 13-11 in the quarters.— Kristel Satumbaga