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Arriola, Buettner are women’s open champions
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Posted on May 22 2006
Recording a successful run to the championship requires key ingredients, and the one-two punch of junior netter Mayuko Arriola and veteran Karen Buettner had it all.
Arriola and Buettner were the latest additions to the list of champions in the 25th Annual DFS Micronesian Tennis Championships, beating top guns Lila Mailman and Vivian Lee in the women’s open finals Sunday evening at the Pacific Islands Club tennis courts.
Arriola and Buettner had their way against their younger opponents and were able to dominate in the opening set, setting the tone of things to come. With their shots working in their favor, the two were able to take the five of the first six games in the set before closing strong for an easy 6-1 victory.
The two received stiffer resistance in the second set as Mailman and Lee, who will be teammates with Arriola in the upcoming 6th Micronesian Games next month, began to pick up their level of play.
The two 14-year-olds seemed to have figured out a way to score on their opponents. However, their efforts in staying alive and forcing a third set came a bit too short as Arriola and Buettner were able to hold their ground and clinched the title with a 6-4 win.
It was the second title for Buettner in the DFS tourney as she and Dr. Gary Ramsey also teamed up to win the mixed doubles 3.0 division.
Meanwhile, Arriola has a shot at adding two more titles, as she will win the girls’ 18-and-under title if she defeats Audrey Motto in a bout that was rescheduled for this coming weekend.
Arriola and Race are also in the finals of the mixed open doubles and will play for the title against Motto and Ji Hoon Heo this weekend.
For more information on the 25th Annual DFS Micronesian Tennis Championships, contact NMITA president and co-director Eli Buenavantura at 484-1558 or Race at 483-5652.
