Montgomery, Arriola rule Coca-Cola tennis

Power server Todd Montgomery outlasted No. 1 Faheem Ebrahim in the final of the men’s open, while top seed Mayuko Arriola continued her dominance in the women’s field as singles action in the 5th Annual Coca-Cola Tennis Championships concluded yesterday afternoon at the Pacific Islands Club tennis courts.

Second-seed Montgomery, who advanced to the finale with a thrilling 7-5, 6-1 victory over third-seed and Pacific Oceania Davis Cup captain Jeff Race Saturday night, got off to a phenomenal start and grabbed the early advantage with a 6-2 win in the first set.

Ebrahim remained calm and played with poise to bounce back and level the match at a set apiece with a 6-4 win. The No. 1 seed, however, had been suffering from a back injury, which he began experiencing early in the tournament. The white flag was raised as Ebrahim retired, giving Montgomery the coveted title.

Ebrahim earned his ticket to the finale with a nail-biting 7-6, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Rory Mackay in Saturday night’s other semifinal.
For her part, tennis sensation Arriola dominated and matched her semifinal victory with a straight sets title-clincher over Vivian Lee.

Arriola had her way in the opening set and set the tone of things to come with a 6-1 win. Lee put up better numbers in the second set, however, Arriola’s powerful forehand and court coverage was all it took to seal the deal, 6-3.

In the men’s 4.0, Fernando Cajigan covered the court well, attacked the net when needed, and earned the championship with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over a determined Craig Buboltz in the final match of the singles action. Buboltz had his breaks on several occasions, but each time he made a run, Cajigan had answers.

Having an easier time was Father Ryan Jimenez, who earned his first singles title with a straight sets victory over Hector Benitez in the men’s 3.0 final.

Jimenez controlled the entire match and dominated all ends before resting with a 6-0, 6-0 win.

“My serve was consistent throughout the tournament, and I’ve never won a championship, so I guess I really worked for it,” Jimenez said shortly after his match. “I’ve tried getting runner-up, but never a championship. This is my first.”

Jimenez also added that he would move up in the men’s field, from the 3.0 to the 4.0 category.

Also finding success was veteran Eli Buenaventura, who received little resistance and added another championship to his corner with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Haruki Nakajima.

After everything was set and done, tournament coordinator Evan Hunsberger commented that the singles play was a success and very competitive.

“It went pretty well,” he said. “Everyone showed up and there was only one forfeit. There were a lot of very close games and tough matches, so we saw very competitive tennis. So its been pretty exciting.”

The Coca-Cola tournament continues this Friday with the start of the doubles events. Hunsberger said the dealine to submit entries is Wednesday evening. The final draw will be out Thursday.