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Upsets mark third day of doubles play
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Posted on Apr 16 2005
The third day of the 2nd Annual Toyota Tennis Tournament proved to be a bad one for top seeds as lower-ranked teams made a killing Friday evening at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.
Peter Loyola and Hector Benitez saw their quest for a second straight men’s 4.5 championship come to a screeching halt after being thwarted by Nicolas Son and Lito Cabrera.
The defending champions started the match well and won the first set without much fanfare. But Son and Cabrera began playing peak form in the second and won it to tie the count at a set apiece.
Son, who is known as much for his skills and craftiness on the tennis court as his tantrums on and off it, then kept his temper in check and with Cabrera by his side dominated Loyola and Benitez in the third and deciding set to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The upper half of the draw also saw another David-Goliath ending, as youth netters Keith Gabaldon and Ji Hoon Heo outlasted the highly touted tandem of Nanding Cajigan and Father Ryan Jimenez in three tough sets 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6-1).
Boyet Minor and Feel Kalen bucked the upset trend in the men’s 4.0, however with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) win against Didith Julve and Edwin Maratas. Jorge Olanda and Joe San Nicolas, meanwhile, had a free ride to the second round when their opponents failed to show up.
In the men’s 3.0, San Nicolas continued his undefeated run through the tournament, this time pairing with fellow Tinian resident Budoy Mocorro to turn back John Jenkins and Francis Mangsat 6-4, 6-4.
The only other men’s 3.0 match Friday saw MacDuffy Llaban and Ruben Leynes get the better of the father-and-son team of Joe and Joe Motto Jr. 6-3, 6-2.
Men’s 2.0 action had Tots Santos and Reggie Reyes defeat Vener Orena and P.J. Mendoza in a count of 6-1, 6-2.
Ligaya Paculanang and Audrey Motto then made sure Friday was indeed a day of upsets when the May-September tandem handily beat Marilyn Bellas and Karen Ramsey 6-2, 6-3 in the women’s 4.0.
Women’s 3.0—a late addition—had the Tinian connection of Sue Reyes and Thea Halliday overcome Ayumi Cajigan and Sadaka Arriola 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
