Imai, Kobayashi win women’s open

Kazumi Imai and Yuko Kobayashi didn’t need the No. 1 ranking at the start of the 2nd Annual Taga Tennis Tournament to tell them they were the best team in the women’s open division.

The second seeded pair proved they were tops when they smoked top seeds Young Son and Kayo Ishii in straight sets in the division’s championship match Sunday night at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Imai and Kobayashi dominated Son and Ishii in the opening set, losing a grand total of only one game. They were not as sharp in the second, but were still far superior than their opponents and took the game and the first-place trophy in a score of 6-1, 6-3.

The top-ranked team of Roy Pangelinan and Dino Jones was also not able to escape the upset axe, as they lost to the upstart pair of Peter Loyola and Hector Benitez 6-4, 6-4 in the finals of the men’s 4.5.

The upset trend carried over to the women’s 4.0 when top seeds Nelia Luna and Arlene Osma kissed their finals hopes goodbye with yet another humiliating 8-1 loss. Cleofe Santos and Audrey Motto this time did them in.

The other divisions were devoid of such surprises though, as seeded teams advanced in the men’s open, men’s 4.0, and women’s 3.0.

In the men’s open, the top-ranked team of Pangelinan and Loyola put their 4.5 battle behind them and blew away the May-September pair of Lope Padilla and Ji Hoon Heo 6-4, 6-2.

Dark horse Hector Gutierrez and Boboy Sergio, meanwhile, halted the advance of tourney surprise Didith Julve and Manny Po 6-4, 6-3. Women’s 3.0 top seeds Asun Demapan and Ruby Gozon, for their part, survived a tough three-setter against Osma and Minako Watanabe 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

In the men’s 2.0, newcomers Reggie Reyes and Ganie Cortez took out Mark Qiu and Bobby Nato 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. Reyes and Cortez will now challenge the father-and-son tandem of Joe and Joseph San Nicolas in the finals.

While the doubles competition is winding down, singles play is set to start as soon as courts are available. Tourney organizer, Saipan Tennis Association, has come out with the top seeds in the category.

USS Peleliu champ and Toyota finalist Daniel Son is the No. 1 seed in the men’s open with Lito Cabrera, Jung Mun Chung, and Jo Hoon Heo taking the next three spots.

The matches in the men’s open are pretty interesting since Son could displace Faheem Ebrahim as No. 1 in STA’s ranking if he reaches the semis. Cabrera, meanwhile, could take home the yearend No. 1 trophy if he goes all the way. Ebrahim begged off from playing in the tourney, citing personal reasons.

Gabe Boyer and Boyet Minor are the favorites in the men’s 4.5, while Jess Pacheco and Gerald Narciso are seeded first and second in the men’s 4.0 followed by Tony Santos and Chris Nelson.

Dr. Gary Ramsey has a big red target on his back in men’s 3.0 after being named top seed. Father Ryan Jimenez is second in the list followed by Noel Manalang and Tinian resident Doi Ligan. The players to watch in the men’s 2.0 are Dennis Macatangay and Carlo Bicol.

Pacific Trading Co. and Miller Lite are the main sponsors of the 2nd Annual Taga Tennis Tournament with USS Peleliu Club and Yuichiro’s Printing Design as minor sponsors.

For more information about the 2nd Annual Taga Tennis Tournament, please call STA president Roy Pangelinan at 256-7769, vice president-internal Nelia Luna at 288-5151 or 287-0859, vice president-external Ricky Castro at 234-7426, and officers Richard Asuncion at 287-0856, Babu Malayil at 286-9745, and Lope Padilla at 286-9733. Inquiries can also be coursed via email at saipan_tennis@yahoo.com.