Nine more advance in Verizon Cup

The flaky weather didn’t hamper the advance of nine doubles teams Friday night in the 3rd Annual Verizon Cup at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Mother Nature’s topsy-turvy temperament, however, may have little to do with the matches getting done, as all three matches in the men’s 4.0 division were by way of walkover.

The pairings of Alfredo Quiroz and Jonathan Frasco, Feel Kalen and Boyet Minor, and Art Lopez and Romy “Colonel” Sotto all received manna from heaven when their respective opponents didn’t show up, allowing them to waltz into the next round.

Nelia Luna and partner Lucita Pasana also got a gift from the tennis gods when they also advanced following the default of Sally Wong and Ligaya Paculanang in the women’s open.

Action in a couple of the matches that did get done, however, more than made up for the non-action in the four walkovers, as the Commonwealth Health Center pair of Richard “Doc” Brostrom and Gary Ramsey, Brett Nelson and Steve Nutting, and the father-and-son tandem of Tatsurori and Ryuichi Gotonda literally had to sweat it out to eke victories against their determined opponents.

Brostrom and Ramsey had to go through the proverbial eye of the needle in the first set before breezing through in the second set against John Jenkins and Sonny Decena, winning in a score of 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 in the men’s 3.5.

Nelson and Nutting, meanwhile, rebounded from a loss in the first set to complete a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) comeback against Kalen and Ricky Castro, also in the 3.5.

The Gotondas, for their part, cruised in the first set before getting the air sucked out from them in the second, but the duo persevered and outlasted Tots Santos and Louie Cagampang, 6-0, 7-5, in the men’s 3.0 modified coed.

Two matches Friday ended up lopsided with the teams of Nanding Cajigan and Ganover Rettin and Cajigan’s wife, Ayumi, and Thea Minor advancing in two trouble-free sets.

Nanding and Rettin disposed of Richard Asuncion and Buddy Garote, 6-3, 6-1, while Mrs. Cajigan and the youthful Minor fashioned out a masterful 6-1, 6-1 triumph against Agnes Salazar and Leriza Debrum.

While the doubles division entered its fourth day yesterday, the singles and mixed doubles competition of the Saipan Tennis Association-organized event will not unfold until Thursday, Aug. 11.

STA also reminded members and players that the Verizon Cup’s awards ceremony and end-of-tournament banquet would be held on the last day of the two-week and three-day long event on Aug. 20 at the AMP grounds.

For more information about the 3rd Annual Verizon Tennis Cup, contact STA president Roy Pangelinan at 287-7697, vice president-internal Nelia Luna at 288-5151 or 287-0859, vice president-external Ricky Castro at 484-2969, auditor Marlon Estigoy at 287-0895, and secretary Lenny Pantaleon 285-9500.