Big upset marks start of Calvo’s Fall Classic

A big upset in the boys’ 14-and-under division and walkover wins caused by a mix-up in the scheduling marked the first day of the 2005 Calvo’s Insurance Junior Tennis Fall Classic yesterday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Benjie Decena was the story of the day as the Tinian netter surprised top seed Russell Buenaventura in three hard-fought sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the boys’ 14-and-under quarterfinals.

His opponent in the semis would be James Camacho, who got the better of Min Woo Cho, 6-1, 6-0. Decena beat Woo Suk Chang 6-1, 6-1 in the first round, while Camacho swept Philip Park 6-0, 6-0 in the same round. Cho beat Andy Nutting 6-2, 6-1 in the opening round.

Other matches in the age group saw Dominic von Siebenthal defeat Bradley Brostrom 6-2, 6-0. Brostrom advanced to the quarters after skunking Hunter Thorpe, while von Siebenthal was a 6-2, 6-0 victor against Miguel Brostrom. Henry Yang won by walkover against Henry Lee.

Top seed Ralph Buenaventura, Keith Gabaldon, and female sensation Mayuko Arriola were all awarded walkover wins in the boys’ 18-and-under after their opponents failed to show up because their school, Marianas Baptist Academy, had classes on Veterans Day. Organizers apparently didn’t know MBA had classes on the holiday.

The only match that got underway in the age group was between Nicolas Son and Ho Suk Chang won by the former 6-0, 6-0.

In the girls’ 18-and-under division, Lila Mailman dominated Shane Jones 6-0, 6-0, while Audrey Motto outplayed good friend Vivian Lee 6-3, 6-2.

Top seed Joe Motto Jr. debuted strong when he outplayed Christian Miller, 6-1, in the second round of the boys’ 10-and-under category. Michael Grandinetti also continues to play well beating Angelo Jones 6-1. Ditto for R.J. Knecht, who hurdled Bryan Mailman 6-4, and Raphael Jones, who swept Ryan Baron 6-0.

First round results saw Miller defeat Jake Lee, Grandinetti prevailing over Nathan Nutting, Knecht beat Lucas Nutting, and Baron getting past Julian Pellegrino.

Illia Corella and Gabrielle Race won their first round assignments in the girls’ 10-and-under. Corella nipped Michaella Grandinetti 7-5, while Race topped Neghar Rastguiy 6-1. Adele Hudkins won by walkover against Jellian Majors.

In doubles, Gabaldon and Arriola teamed up to vanquish Son and Chang (4-6, 6-3, 6-1) in the boys’ 18-and-under; Decena and Andy Nutting won via walkover against Philip Park and Buenaventura, Lee and Chang top Calvin Yang and Miguel Brostrom (6-4, 6-3), and von Siebenthal and Motto take out John Jeon and Cho (6-1, 6-0) in the boys’ 14-and-under; and Baron and Miller sweep Grandinetti and Pellegrino (6-0), and Angelo Jones and Lee edge Knecht and Nutting (6-4) in the boys’ 10-and-under.