Ralph wraps up 4.5 division crown

Junior tennis player Ralph Buenaventura made mincemeat of surprise finalist Nanding Cajigan to win the men’s 4.5 division of the 2004 Shell-Telesource Open Thursday night at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Buenaventura, the No. 2 seed, used his blazing speed and uncanny shot-making ability to post an easy 6-0, 6-1 victory over Cahigan in just roughly 45 minutes of action.

The championship is Buenaventura’s second in the adult ranks following his 4.0 win a year ago. He defeated No. 1 seed Buddy Garote in the semifinals. Cajigan, meanwhile, outlasted Bong Gamab to advance to the championship.

In a rare move, the semifinals and finals of the mixed doubles 4.0 were played and completed Thursday.

In the first game, unseeded Buddy Garote and Merle Hudkins dodged Cleofe Santos and Renato “Dodong” Espanola 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

The second game then saw the pair of Father Ryan Jimenez and Sally Cacdac upset No. 2 seeds Reo and Mayuko Arriola 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.

Shortly after the conclusion of the semis, the winning teams went back to the court, this time for the championship. Garote and Hudkins eventually took home first place beating Father Jimenez and Cacdac 6-3, 6-3 in a match that finished well past the 10pm curfew of the AMP.

In the mixed doubles open, the tandem of Jun Villanueva and Young Son reigned supreme after turning back the pair of Eli Buenaventura and Letty Jones 7-5, 7-6 (12-9).

Buenaventura and Jones played their hearts out, but unlike their upset win over No. 1 seeds Faheem Ebrahim and Sally Wong a few days back, they didn’t get the right amount of luck to hurdle their more talented opponents.

In the postponed finals of the men’s doubles 3.0 division, Father Jimenez and men’s singles 3.0 conqueror Michael Robert renewed their partnership and played beautiful music together in vanquishing the Commonwealth Health Center pair of Richard Brostrom and Gary Ramsey 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

Shell Marianas and Telesource CNMI were the sponsors of the 2004 Shell-Telesource Open, which in turn was organized by the Filipino-American Tennis Association.

For more information about the 2004 Shell-Telesource Open and others activities of FILATA, please call tournament directors Elmer Guzman at 483-2004 or Alex Martin at 322-1130.