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Loyola, Tan win doubles in Guam Open
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Posted on Mar 02 2009
Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan instructor Peter Loyola teamed up with Lydia Tan in notching the mixed doubles open title in the 2009 Shirley’s Guam Open Tennis Tournament at the Guam Hilton Hotel tennis courts last month.
The pair of Loyola and Tan won four matches in the tournament organized by George Lai.
The two Saipan netters opened their campaign in the Shirley’s Open with a straight sets victory over the tandem of Ian Batherson and Amber Gadsden, 6-3, 6-4.
In the second round, the duo of Loyola and Tan posted a similar 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Shinzo Nakamura and Katsura Nishizawa to advance to the semifinals.
Loyola and Tan were paired against Ray Miranda and Toni Evaristo in the semifinals and the Saipan bets recorded their easiest win in the tournament with a 6-2, 6-1 rout of their Final Four foes.
In the title match, the tandem of Loyola and Tan had a showdown with Guam coach Sam Lai and Katie Lai. The first set of the championship match was a neck-and-neck battle with Loyola and Tan prevailing, 7-5. The Saipan netters then completed its unbeaten record in the Shirley’s Open with a 6-4 win in the second set.
Tan also played in the women’s doubles finals in the 35-and-above age group. But she and partner Sally Lee bowed to Katsura Nishizawa and Lisa Provido, 3-6, 5-7.
Loyola was paired with Khay Sung in the men’s doubles 35-and-above age group and the duo won over Jay Cruz and Fred Nishihira, Jr. in the semifinals, 6-3, 7-5.
In the finals, Loyola and Sung lost to the tandem of Torgun Smith and Chris Blalock.
The doubles competition in the Shirley’s Open was held from Feb. 20 to 22, only a few days after Loyola and Tan played in the 2009 Coconut Classic Tennis on Saipan.
Tan ruled the women’s open singles division of the Coconut Classic, besting Kinumi Tanaguchi and Sakiko Eda in the round-robin tournament.
Loyola advanced to the semifinals of the men’s open singles before losing to eventual runner-up Jeff Race, who bowed to Kirk Schuler in the title match.
Meanwhile, singles competition in the Shirley’s Open was held last weekend.
