Rain limits Verizon Cup to one match

Mother Nature again made her presence felt, disrupting play in the ongoing 3rd Annual Verizon Tennis Cup Monday night and limiting action to just one match at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

While everyone else had to hold on for another day before showcasing their skills in the Saipan Tennis Association event, the one-two dynamite punch of Dr. Richard Brostrom and Dr. Gary Ramsey were busy working towards securing a berth in the finals of the men’s doubles 3.5 category.

The doctor-doctor team was as cool as the evening breeze in the opening set against Steve Nutting and Brett Nelson, taking control and setting the tone of things to come by earning a quick 6-2 victory.

The two carried their momentum over to the second set and had an easier time as they finessed their way to a 6-1 clincher, and now await an opponent in the finale.

Brostrom and Ramsey reached the semifinals after beating Sam Apostol and Rodel Macasinag in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

According to STA vice president-internal Nelia Luna, all other matches scheduled for Monday night were postponed because of rain and rescheduled to last night. Shortly before press time, Luna said matches were about to get underway.

Five divisions—open, 4.5, 4.0, 3.0, and 2.0—are featured in the men’s doubles corner, while women’s play is confined to open, 4.0, and 3.0 divisions only.

Two champions have already been crowned, with the father-and-son duo of Tatsunori and Ruichi Gotanda taking the throne in the co-ed category after putting on a show in the finale against Lenny Panteleon and Vener Urena en route to a 6-2, 6-0 victory Sunday night.

Also securing championship recognition were Ligaya Paculanang and Merle Hudkins, who took top honors in the women’s doubles 4.0 after stopping a respectable push by Luna and Vangie Espanola in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-4.

The Verizon Tennis Cup will also feature singles and mixed doubles play, which will not start until Aug. 11.

Up for grabs in the singles portion of the tournament are men’s and women’s open, men’s and women’s 4.0, men’s and women’s 3.0, and men’s 4.5. Three divisions will be available in mixed doubles: Open, 4.0, and 3.0.

The award ceremony and end-of-tournament banquet would be held on the last day of the two-week and three-day long event on Aug. 20 at the AMP grounds.

For more information about the 3rd Annual Verizon Tennis Cup, contact STA president Roy Pangelinan at 287-7697, Luna at 288-5151 or 287-0859, vice president-external Ricky Castro at 484-2969, auditor Marlon Estigoy at 287-0895, and secretary Lenny Panteleon 285-9500.