Heo, Lee capture UMDA titles

Young guns Ji Hoon Heo and Vivian Lee were at the top of their games and closed the weekend strong by taking home the 18-and-under singles titles of the 2006 UMDA Junior Tennis Tournament yesterday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Heo, who just recently won the men’s open singles title in the Aon Insurance tournament, had a tough challenge against fellow standout Ralph Buenaventura, but was still able to overcome.

The two were engaged in a tough battle from the start, with Buenaventura taking the opening set, 6-4. Heo came back stronger in the second set and leveled the match with a 7-5 win.

Heo was leading 1-0 in the third set when Buenaventura retired due to cramps.

For her part, Lee was the best performer in the tough girl’s 18-and-under round-robin competition, which featured four members of the CNMI women’s team to the 6th Micronesian Games this summer.

Lee, Mayuko Arriola, and Lila Mailman were tied at the end of the competition, each with 2-1 win-loss records; however, Lee was crowned champion after winning the most sets among the three. She won five of seven sets played. Arriola followed by winning four of six sets played, while Mailman won four of seven sets played. Also competing was Audrey Motto.

Lee defeated Arriola in two sets 6-4, 6-3 and Motto 6-0, 6-3. Arriola beat Motto 6-1, 6-0 and Mailman 6-2, 6-3, while Mailman posted a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 win over Lee and a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Motto.

Meanwhile, James Camacho defeated Joe Motto Jr. 6-3, 6-0 to win the boys’ 13-and-under singles title, while Sang Woo Han took home third place.

Angelo Jones also claimed top honors as he beat Quintin Ramsey in the boys’ 9-and-under singles competition. Andrew Johnson placed third after stopping Michael Grandinetti, 6-0.

In the girls’ 13-and-under singles, Thea Minor stood on top of the rest as she took home the crown with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Jessica Soll. Melody Johnson won third place, edging Shane Jones 7-5, 7-6 (7-0).

For her part, Michaela Grandinetti won the girls’ nine-and-under round-robin singles competition, posting a perfect 3-0 win-loss record. Neghar Rastguiy placed runner-up with a 2-1 card, while Grabrielle Race and Sabrina Bilston-John also played well.

Doubles champions include Christian Miller and Ryan Baron for the boys’ 13-and-under as they defeated Bradley Brostrom and Rafael Jones 7-6, 6-4., while the Ramsey duo of Quintin and Colin won the 9-and-under crown with a 6-4 victory over Andrew Johnson and Michael Grandinetti.

Mailman and Arriola survived a tough bout against Lee and Motto to win the 18-and-under girls’ doubles 7-5, 7-5, while Melody Johnson and Shane Jones beat Ilia Corella and Michaela Grandinetti 6-2, 6-4 for the girls’ 13-and-under title.

Mikyla Lopez and Bilston-John won the girls’ 9-and-under doubles with a 7-5 win over Rastguiy and Race.