Electrifying play at DFS tennis

Play at the 24th Annual DFS Micronesian Tennis Championships was intense over the first two days at the Pacific Islands Club tennis courts.

Heated action was featured on opening night as the one-two punch of Michael and Nicolas Son battled Rory MacKay and Peter Loyola in the men’s open doubles.

MacKay and Loyola opened strong and took the early advantage with a 6-4 win in the first set, but the Son family kept their heads up and put up a charge in the second set and kept their hopes alive by edging their counterparts, 7-6.

With momentum on their corner, the Son-Son team continued their push and left as victors with a 6-3 clincher.

The two faced veteran Jeff Race and Daniel Son yesterday, however, results of the match weren’t available as of press time.

Meanwhile, Father Ryan Jimenez and Perry Cacdac earned a finals ticket in the 4.0, defeating Steve Nutting and Erik Van der Maas in straight sets, 6-2 and 7-5. The two will play the winner between the Elmer Guzman and Boyet Minor-Michael Roberts and Toshi Beltau bout in the finale. Roberts and Beltau defeated the father-son team of Eli and Russell Buenaventura in a hard-fought quarterfinals match 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.

John Jenkins and Francis Mangat also earned a ticket to the finals, beating Nate Algaier and Daniel Colton in a three-set thriller 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Algaier and Colton went past Ho Suk Chang and Woo Suk Chang in straight sets, 6-2 and 7-5.

Joining Jenkins and Mangat are Gary Ramsey and Richard Brostrom after they beat Joe Motto Jr. and Joe Motto Sr. 6-2, 6-0.

In the women’s open doubles, Kazumi Imai and Yuko Kobayashi breezed past youth netters Lila Mailman and Camryn Mosley 6-0, 6-1 while Joy Minor and Mayuko Arriola went by Vivian Lee and Amanda Weindl 7-6, 6-3. Minor and Arriola then had a walkover victory over Letty Jones and Young Son, and will face Imai and Kobayashi in the final.

Karen Ramsey and Lucita Pasana will also make a finals appearance after beating Melanie Daly and Stephanie Jewell in the 3.0, 6-2 and 6-4. They will face Dinalette Jones and Ligaya Paculanang, who beat Ayumi Cajogan and Sadako Arriola 6-2, 6-2.

Jeff Race and Weindl are in the final of the mixed doubles with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over Reo and Mayuko Arriola, while Imai and Felipe Quiroz advanced to the semis with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Joe Motto Jr. and Audrey Motto. Imai and Quiroz faced Sally Wong and Loyola in the semis. Results weren’t available as of press time.

In singles play, Ralph Buenaventura will meet Nicolas Son in the boys’ 18-and-under finale. Buenaventura defeated Keith Gabaldon 6-1, 6-2 while Son edged Mayuko Arriola 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

The boys’ 14-and-under category was still in its quarterfinals stage as of press time. Still in contention were Russell Buenaventura, Henry Yang, Phillip Park, Woo Suk Chang, Bradley Brostrom, Calvin Yang, Miguel Brostrom, Roger Lee, and Dominic Von Siebenthal.

Joe Motto Jr., Andrew Johnson, Angelo and Rafael Jones also reached the semis of the boys’ 10-and-under.

Vivian Lee, Jessica Soll, Audrey Motto, and Lila Mailman were also in the semis of the girls’ 14-and-under, while Thea Minor and Melody Johnson made their way to the finale of the girls’ 10-and-under.