41 singles, 19 doubles entries in DFS tennis

The Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association is currently busy prepping for the start of the 25th Annual DFS Micronesian Tennis Championships, which will begin this weekend at the Pacific Islands Club tennis courts.

The tournament will have doubles and junior singles on the first weekend from May 19 to May 21, while singles and junior doubles will follow in the second weekend from May 26 to May 29.

So far, about 41 netters have signed up to compete in singles, while 19 doubles teams have also registered.

Familiar names fill the girls’ 18-and-under singles as four members of the CNMI National Tennis Team to the 6th Micronesian Games will be competing. Already signed up are Lila Mailman, Vivian Lee, Audrey Motto, and Mayuko Arriola, who will battle it out in a round-robin competition.

Rising star Thea Minor heads the girls’ 13-and-under contest and she is joined by sister Theecel, Melody Johnson, Ilia Corella, Michaela Grandinetti, and Jessica Soll. Thea and Soll both have first round byes.

The girls’ nine-and-under competition will also feature a round-robin format as Sabrina Bilston-John, Gabrielle Race, Danica Baron, and Mika Lopez.

The boys’ 18-and-under competition is also expected to be tough as three players who are hopefuls for the Micro Games will be suiting up for action. Spearheading the cast are top seeds Ji Hoon Heo and Ralph Buenaventura, who will both get first-round byes. Nicolas Son also joins the hunt, as are Johnny Johnson, Keith Gabaldon, and Ho Suk Chang.

A total of 13 players make up the boys’ 13-and-under field, with Tinian’s Benjie Decena entering as the top seed. James Camacho joins Decena with first-round byes, while Woo Suk Chang, Bradley Brostrom, Joe Motto Jr., Clay McCullough-Stearns, Jake Lee, Ryan Baron, Sang Woo Han, Christian Miller, Calvin Yang, Brian Mailman, and Rafael Jones also join in.

The boys’ nine-and-under division will also feature tough competition with Angelo Jones, Lucas Nutting, Dylan Ackerman, Aaron Lee, Christopher Cajigan, Colin Ramsey, Luther Lizama, and Michael Grandinetti vying for the title.

The doubles scene is also expected to be played on the same high level as the singles with five division titles up for grabs.

The men’s open features Micro Games player Jeff Race teaming up with Buenaventura, Steve Nutting and Erick Van der Maas joining forces, and Heo and Son combining their skills to battle in a round-robin competition.

The men’s 4.0 will feature Reo Arriola and Nanding Cajigan, Joe Motto Sr. and Joe Motto Jr., Sonny Decena and Ronnie Decena, Didith Julve and Jorge Olanda, Tony Santos and Ganover Rettin, and the doctor-doctor duo of Richard Brostrom and Gary Ramsey.

Teams in the women’s open will also engage in a round-robin competition. Going for the title are Cleofe Santos and Audrey Motto, Mayuko Arriola and Karen Buettner, and Lila Mailman and Vivian Lee.

The mixed open doubles include Cleofe Santos and Peter Loyola, Audrey Motto and Heo, Son and Lila Mailman, and Jeff Race and Mayuko Arriola.

Rounding up the competition is the mixed 3.0, which will include the teams of Debbie Bilston and Jerry John, benjie Decena and Thea Minor, as well as Buettner and Gary Ramsey.

According to tournament director Eli Buenaventura, the schedule for play will be available today.

“This is going to be very exciting especially since the Micronesian Games hopefuls will be participating. There’s going to be a sneak peak at their training for the past months,” Buenaventura said.

For more information on the 24th Annual DFS Micronesian Tennis Championships, contact Race at 483-5652 or NMITA president and co-director Eli Buenavantura at 484-1558.