Minor wins 13-and-under singles

Young gun Thea Minor continues to impress as she secured another title in the ongoing 25th Annual DFS Micronesian Tennis Championships over the weekend at the Pacific Islands Club tennis courts.

Already known as a force to be reckoned with in her age division, Minor faced Jessica Soll in the finals of the girls’ 13-and-under singles, and was given a good fight before closing the match in straight sets.

The finals bout was all set and scheduled for last Sunday, however, it was postponed and rescheduled.

After waiting a week, Minor was able to show her stuff on center stage as she controlled the first set and cruised to a 6-1 victory.

Soll put up a better performance in the second set, but came up a bit short as Minor came up with big shots and was able to clinch the title with a 6-4 win.

The finals of the mixed open doubles, which was also rescheduled from last weekend, took place yesterday. However, results were not available a of press time. Battling in the bout were the teams of Audrey Motto and Ji Hoon Heo and Jeff Race and Mayuko Arriola.

Meanwhile, Race and Heo will meet in the finals of the men’s open singles after Race defeated Nicolas Son 6-3, 6-4 and Heo outlasted Ralph Buenaventura in three sets 6-2, 5-7, 6-0.

In the men’s 40-and-over division, George Olanda and Sonny Decena earned finals tickets after Olanda scored a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Dr. Gary Ramsey, and Decena beat Dr. Richard Brostrom 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals.

Eli Buenaventura and Nanding Cajigan also posted victories in the round robin men’s 4.5 singles, both beating Simon Gregorio. Buenaventura posted a 6-2, 6-4 win, while Cajigan won 6-2, 6-1. The two are scheduled to play at 11am today, with the winner taking the title.

Art Borromeo also survived to play another day as he defeated John Johnson 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the semifinals of the men’s 4.0. Johnson had earlier defeated Reo Arriola 6-2, 6-4.

Borromeo will face the winner of the Hector Benitez-Chris Nelson semifinals bout. Benitez and Nelson played yesterday, however, results were not available as of press time.

The men’s 3.0 finals is also set with randy Steele and Benjie Decena earning tickets to the title bout. Steele got past Christian Miller 6-1, 7-6 while Decena beat Joe Motto Jr. 6-1, 6-1.

In the women’s corner, Amanda Weindl made a strong return to Saipan by advancing to the finals of the women’s open, where she will face junior netter Vivian Lee. Weindl, who arrived from Hawaii a couple of days ago, was able to beat Audrey Motto 7-5, 6-3, while Lee came back to defeat Mayuko Arriola 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Lee had to first get past Lila Mailman 6-2, 7-6 to face Arriola in the semis.

The women’s round-robin 4.0 also featured Cleofe Santos edging Merle Hudkins 6-4, 7-6 and Matty Buenaventura beating Karen Buettner 6-1, 6-0.

Action in the boys’ 13-and-under doubles was also intense as Raffy Jones and Bradley Brostrom earned their finals ticket with a long and tough victory over Miller and Ryan Baron 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (9-7). They will face James Camacho and Joe Motto Jr. who beat Clay McCullough-Stearns and Cody Race 6-1, 6-0.

The boys’ nine-and-under doubles saw Michael Grandinetti and Andrew Johnson beating Dylan Ackerman and Aaron Lee 6-2, and Quintin and Colin Ramsey defeating Ackerman and Lee 6-0. The two winners will face off for the title today.

Also, Cleo Von Siebenthal and Soll were able to beat Ilia Corella and Melody Johnson 6-2, 6-2 in the girls’ 13-and-under doubles.

Gabrielle Rae and Michaela Grandinetti defeated Danica Baron and Taylor Knecht 6-1. Liza Atalig and Neghar Rastguiy also defeated Baron and Knecht 6-2, but lost to Sabrina Bilston-John and Mika Lopez 6-2. Bilston-John and Lopez then edged Baron and Knecht 6-3.

The tournament, organized by the Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association, concludes today with an awards banquet at the PIC.

For more information on the 25th Annual DFS Micronesian Tennis Championships, contact NMITA president and co-director Eli Buenavantura at 484-1558 or vice president Jeff Race at 483-5652.