Tough field in Coke tennis championships

The island’s biggest names in tennis will see action today in the 5th Annual Coca-Cola Tennis Championships at the Pacific Islands Club tennis courts.

Because of their rankings, tournament No. 1 and defending champion Faheem Ebrahim, second seed Todd Montgomery, Pacific Oceania Davis Cup captain Jeff Race, and 2003 South Pacific Games veteran Jung Mun Chung each got byes in the opening round.

Ebrahim, who is returning from a foot injury, will battle the winner of match between Felipe Quiroz and tennis wunderkind Ralph Buenaventura.

Montgomery will face the survivor of the encounter between 11-year-old Ji Hoon Heo and Hawaii Preparatory Academy hotshot and 2005 Wodonga Classic champion Tim Quan.

The winner of the Peter Loyola-Daniel Son duel would then be awarded with a match with Race, while Chung would draw either Rory Mackay or Nicolas Son.

The Coke-sponsored tournament actually kicked off last night with the earlier mentioned first round matches in the open division.

A smaller field registered in the men’s 4.0 with Richard Asuncion and Ed Johnson getting byes in the first round. Other competitors in the division are Craig Buboltz, Gerald Narciso, Simon Peter Guerrero, and Fernando “Nanding” Cajigan.

Men’s 3.0 have Russell Buenaventura and Father Ryan Jimenez heading the cast with the likes of Hector Benitez, Donald Blondin, John Jenkins, and Evan Hunsberger assaying the roles of giant-killers.

Eli Buenaventura and Haruki Nakajima are each assured of finishing at least in second place, as they are only the two players signed up for the men’s masters category.

In the women’s open, youth netters Mayuko Arriola and Vivian Lee are the first and second seeds, while Shinobu Furrh and Rosalita Pasana will try their best to unseat them.

The singles competition would run through Sunday, April 3 and action continues the following week on Friday, April 8, through Sunday, April 10, when doubles play take to the courts. The men will once again have the choice between the open, 4.0, and 3.0, while the women can opt between the open and the 4.0. There will also be an exciting mixed doubles event during the second weekend.

According to tournament coordinator Evan Hunsberger, the open divisions of both the singles and doubles are guaranteed cash prizes for the top two finishers.

The deadline to enter the doubles events is Thursday, April 7. For more information, contact Hunsberger or Jon Cramer at the PIC by calling 235-6231 ext. 5147, or via email at sea@picsaipn.com.