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Guam-Saipan pair clinches doubles title
Guam’s Sam Lai, left, gives Saipan’s Dong Min Lee a low-five after they scored a point against Don Castillo and Ken Imaya in the men’s over 40 doubles title game in the 8th Annual TanHoldings Tennis Classic last Sunday at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Guam’s Sam Lai and Saipan’s Dong Min Lee survived two tough matches to win the men’s over 40 doubles crown in the 8th Annual TanHoldings Tennis Classic last weekend at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan courts.
The top-ranked Lee and Lai first edged Joe Quitugua and Brian Wessel in the semifinals, 6-3, 7-6 (8) to bag the finals ticket at the upper half of the draw. Quitugua and Wessel moved into the semis against Lai and Lee after slipping past Roy Banados and Art Lopez, 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.
Up next for the eventual champions were Don Castillo and Ken Imaya, who marched into the title game following a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Eric Abragan and Mihai Leta. In the championship match, Lai and Lee took the first set, 6-2, but missed a sweep when Imaya and Castillo came out on top in the second, 6-4. In the deciding super-tiebreaker third set, the opposing teams went back and forth before Lee and Lai eked out a 10-7 triumph.
In other results, Sam’s brother David ruled the men’s over 50 doubles along with Eddie Wu. Wu and David won the battle of the Top 2 seeds in the finals after posting a 4-2, 4-2 victory against the top-ranked pair of Imaya and Wessel. Wu and David earned a slot to the title match after eliminating Neo Masinda and Diony Peralta, 6-2, 6-1, and Banados and George Poquiz, 6-4, 6-3, at the lower half of the draw.
At the upper half of the field, Imaya and Wessel drew a bye in the first round and moved it to the finals following a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Jorge Olanda and Boboy Sergio—the walkover winners against Su Jong and Boboy Sergio.
Meanwhile, after falling short in the two doubles events, Wessel finally made it to the champions circle after topping the men’s over 50 singles. Wessel defeated Gary Ramsey in the finals, 6-0, 7-5.
Bong Gamab also triumphed in the second and final week of the annual tournament after ruling the men’s over 40 singles as he went unbeaten in two games in the round-robin contest.
