Tennis gets going as skies clear up

Rain clouds skipped the American Memorial Park tennis courts Wednesday and resulted in eight matches being completed in the 2004 Shell-Telesource Open.

The Filipino-American Tennis Association-organized tournament began early and sunny with the 4:30pm match between the pair of Renato “Dodong” Espanola and Eric Mahinay and the veteran duo of Dr. Mohammad Ashraf and Tony Santos.

Espanola and Mahinay were baffled by Ashraf and Santos’ experience in the first set before taking the initiative in the next two and won 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-2.

Hector Benitez and Buboy Sergio joined Espanola and Mahinay into the next round after they bucked a slow start to defeat Buddy Garote and Martin Igitol 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Top seeds Jorge Olanda and Edwin Maratas made their debut Tuesday and it was a memorable one after figuring in a three-set tiebreak marathon match against the duo of Perry Cacdac and Father Ryan Jimenez.

Olanda and Maratas were in trouble early but took the first set by the skin of their teeth. They were not as fortunate in the second set, however, as it was the turn of Cacdac and Father Jimenez to pull the rug from under them.

With the match approaching the four-hour mark and each side already past exhaustion, Olanda and Maratas marshaled all their remaining reserves and went on to score an epic 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7) victory.

Not at all exhausted, Maratas jumped to the next court, this time teaming up with Espanola, in beating Nanding Cajigan and Toz Beltau in yet another classic three-setter 6-4, 0-6, 7-5 in the men’s 4.5.

The tandem of Boyet Minor and Hector Guttierrez also were triumphant in the only other men’s 4.5 match completed in the evening after hurdling the duo of Abet Encarnacion and FILATA president Eli Buenaventura 6-4, 6-4.

Men’s 3.0 also began play Tuesday night with Romy Sotto and Ruben Leynes teaming up to overcome Francis Mangsat and Efren Sacapola 6-0, 6-4.

Two other men’s 3.0 matches got done with the Commonwealth Health Center pair of Gary Ramsey and Richard Brostrom showing no mercy in beating teenage girls Kanani Ashraf and Vivian Lee 6-2, 6-0.

Frenchmen Massimo Flouti and Chris Stophe then raised their country’s tricolors after getting the better of Boy Cruz and Orly De Leon 6-1, 6-2.

The default win of men’s 4.5 second seeds Dino Jones and Roy Pangelinan over Richard Asuncion and Bong Gamab increased the evening’s finished matches to nine.

FILATA officers said if weather permits, they will try to wrap up doubles play this weekend in time to begin their singles and mixed doubles categories this coming Monday.

For more information about the 2004 Shell-Telesource Open, please call tournament directors Elmer Guzman at 483-2004 or Alex Martin at 322-1130.