Smooth sailing for top seeds

Even with the Marianas under typhoon watch, action in the 2nd Annual Taga Tennis Tournament was as feverish as ever Sunday night at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

As the wind was whipping up bigger than usual waves in the sea, the top seeds on land encountered little or no rough sailing as they went deeper into the rounds in the singles division.

In the men’s 4.5, Boyet Minor unleashed a torrent of forehand winners and crisp volleys against 49-year-old Gabe Boyer and won in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4.

The victory assured Minor a place in the finals, where he is awaiting the winner of the tussle between Nanding Cajigan and Renato “Dodong” Espanola.

Father Ryan Jimenez is also safely into the championship round of the men’s 3.0, as he kicked up a storm in drubbing Beltau Toshi, 6-3, 6-1.

His opponent in the finals will either be fourth seed Cris Nelson or Abet Encarnacion, who were still battling as of press time.

Men’s 3.0 top seed Gary Ramsey, for his part, had dark clouds looming ahead in his match against third seed Noel Manalang. But the good doctor stirred clear of trouble and advanced to the championship with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph.

Ramsey is tipped to play either Raj Rai or Tinian’s Doi Ligan in the finals. Rai survived a late comeback attempt by Edgar Taniegra before pulling off the win 6-1, 7-5, while Ligan made his nauseous ferryboat trip from Saipan’s southern neighbor worth it with a 6-4, 6-2 conquest of Yesman Gurung.

Isagani Cortes, meanwhile, is just a win away from adding a men’s 2.0 singles title to his doubles championship after giving Tinian youth netter Benjie Decena no reprieve, 6-2, 6-3. Mark Qiu, for his part, advanced to the semis following a calm 6-2, 6-2 win over Ham Roka.

It was all sunny skies for Karen Ramsey and Ayumi Cajigan in their women’s 3.0 matches. Ramsey swept Agnes Salazar 6-0, 6-0 to gain entry to the final round, while Cajigan dominated Ellen Uy, 6-1, 6-1, in the other semis pairing.

In the women’s open, Mayuko Arriola sent Vivian Lee down the whirlpool of defeat in a score of 6-1, 6-1.

There was also a lot of action churning up in the mixed doubles. Manny Jaraplasan and Merle Hudkins advanced to the championship after pummeling Marlon Estigoy and Audrey Motto 6-1, 6-2 in the 3.0 division.

Their opponent in the finals will be Lemuel Arabelo and Ligaya Paculanang, who took the high ground in their encounter with Babu Malayil and Arlene Osma.

Richard Asuncion and Delia Johnson, meanwhile, were locked up in a tight one against Garote and Paculanang. The two pairs split the first two sets, answering each shots like thunder and lightning, before Asuncion and Johnson clinched the third and won in a score of 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

They will battle the winner between the tandem of Tony and Cleofe Santos and the brother-and-sister duo of Reo and Mayuko Arriola.

Daniel Son and Kayo Ishii, meanwhile, packed typhoon force winds in their forehands and backhands and made short work of Nicolas Son and Kazumi Imai, 6-3, 6-2.

Joining them in the finals is the tandem of Peter Loyola and Cleofe Santos, who ran roughshod over Roy Pangelinan and Yuko Kobayashi, 6-2, 6-2.

Pacific Trading Co. and Miller Lite are the main sponsors of the 2nd Annual Taga Tennis Tournament with USS Peleliu Club and Yuichiro’s Printing Design as minor sponsors.

For more information about the 2nd Annual Taga Tennis Tournament, please call STA president Roy Pangelinan at 256-7769, vice president-internal Nelia Luna at 288-5151 or 287-0859, vice president-external Ricky Castro at 234-7426, and officers Richard Asuncion at 287-0856, Babu Malayil at 286-9745, and Lope Padilla at 286-9733. Inquiries can also be coursed via email at saipan_tennis@yahoo.com.