Last doubles championship claimed

Clear skies and the consistent play of Ligaya Paculanang and Audrey Motto conspired to finally give the duo victory in the women’s 4.0 doubles of the 2nd Annual Tennis Tournament Monday night.

With the American Memorial Park tennis courts finally getting a respite from troubling rain that plagued matches for three consecutive nights, Paculanang showcased her veteran savvy and Motto her excellent volleying skills in a straight sets win against Merle Hudkins and Ayumi Cajigan.

The final was originally scheduled on April 16 but an injury to Cajigan and Motto’s schooling postponed it for a week.

It got started Saturday but the uncooperative weather halted the match with Paculanang and Motto leading 1-0 in the second set. They shut out their opponents in the opening race-to-seven.

But Paculanang, who works for Country House Restaurant, and Motto, a 13-year-old tennis protégé from Whispering Palms School, groped for form when battle was rejoined two nights later.

They allowed Hudkins and Cajigan to tally three games before sealing the deal with some key ground strokes from Paculanang and emphatic volley slams from Motto at the net to win 6-0, 6-3.

“We just wanted to end it as quickly as possible because we already went through so many delays because of rain and Audrey’s school. I’m just glad we played well and we were able to win the championship,” said Paculanang.

For her part, Motto said she was happy her volleying skills were working fine and that she and Paculanang were able to go all the way and capture the title.

She, however, obviously wanted a longer workout and a few minutes after she and Paculanang shook hands with Hudkins and Cajigan at the net, Motto again picked up her racquet and played singles with best friend Vivian Lee.

Aside from the women’s 4.0 doubles championship, the Saipan Tennis Association also took advantage of clear skies and dry courts by wrapping up a total of 14 matches—nine in the singles and five mixed doubles—Monday night.

Youth netter Ji Hoon Heo is safely into the quarterfinals of the men’s open after running Buddy Garote to the ground 6-1, 6-4.

Edwin Maratas, meanwhile, didn’t let a full stomach get in the way of victory when he defeated Park Ranger Chuck Sayon 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in their men’s 4.5 match.

A few minutes before their encounter, Maratas helped himself to three platefuls of rice and adobo, which explains his lackadaisical start.

Richard Asuncion had the easiest outing of the evening, winning by walkover when Gerald Narciso failed to show up.

In the men’s 4.0, Toz Beltau mixed up his shots with great success keeping Father Ryan Jimenez off balance the entire game and prevailed 6-3, 6-4.

Aramis Dailo gained a semis ticket in the men’s 2.0 coming back from a first set to loss to beat Ruben Leynes 0-6, 6-2, 6-0. Boy Cruz advanced to the quarters following his 7-5, 6-1 win against Ramon Angeles.

Roy Ocanada and youngster Joe Motto Jr. will dispute the men’s 2.0 championship after the two vanquished separate opponents Monday night. Ocanada turned back P.J. Mendoza 6-1, 6-2, while Motto outplayed Orly De Leon 6-4, 6-3.

Sisters Dinalette and Mia Jones also recorded wins with Dinalette benefiting with a walkover against Thea Halliday in women’s 3.0 and Mia downing Yuri Iida 6-2, 6-0 in women’s 2.0.

In the mixed open, Lito Cabrera and Young Son eliminated Asuncion and Lucita Pasana 6-2, 6-3.

Keith Gabaldon and Lee also joined the winners’ circle following their 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 victory against the luckless pair of Jimenez and Nelia Luna in mixed 4.0.

Luna was serving for the opening set when Gabaldon and Lee rallied to force a tiebreak. The duo was also up 3-0 before losing seven of the next nine games in the second.

Also moving on to the Elite Eight of the division was the tandem of Hector Benitez and Cleofe Santos who overwhelmed George Poquiz and Maru Dela Torre.

Acion in the mixed 3.0 saw father-and-daughter and husband-and-wife tandems win Monday night.

Joe Motto Sr. and daughter Audrey took out Feel Kalen 6-1, 6-4, while Gary and Karen Ramsey topped Angeles and Leriza Debrum 7-5, 6-3.