Lai, Tan triumph in mixed doubles

 Saipan’s Lydia Tan and Guam’s David Lai lived up to expectations after ruling the mixed doubles 40-and-above division of the 3rd Annual Tan Holdings Tennis Classic.

The top-seeded duo took the championship after sweeping the Guam pair of Migu Goodman and Sam Lai in the finals last Sunday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts, 6-2, 6-4. David Lai did a great job playing at the baseline and going for tricky returns that often seemed passing the line, but still went in, catching the latter off guard. Tan on the other hand, connected on several aces and a couple of drop shots to complement her teammate’s game.

The winning pair made it to the finals after also nailing a straight sets victory over Jorge Olanda and Lyn Leung in the semis last Saturday, 6-0, 6-2.

Sam Lai and Goodman prevailed in the other semis pairing, beating George Lai and Sally Lee, also last Saturday, 6-1, 6-2.

Two more mixed doubles championship games were played last Sunday.

Over at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan court, Ryan Cho and Nageo Chieko clinched the 3.0 title after sweeping Kazu and Aki Shintani, 6-2, 6-2. Cho and Chieko were seeded second in the event and drew a bye in the first round of the lower half bracket before defeating Michael Ren and Emily Jones in the semis last Saturday, 6-3, 6-4. Jones and Ren advanced to the semis after surviving May Ling Colombo and Kentaro Imaya, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8.

The Shintanis were on the upper half of the draw and marched into the semis, following a victory over Paul Jang and July Kim. Then in the semis, Kazu and Aki stunned top seed Vickie Izuka and Norman Tsang in three sets, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

In the mixed doubles 4.0, the father and daughter tandem of Boyet and Theecel Minor needed only two sets to down Carl Dela Cruz and Mikayla Lopez in the finals, 6-4, 6-3. The Minors were the top-ranked players in their group and made it to the finals after slipping past Phiel Kiensin and Nina Engelhardt, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Before bowing to the Minors, Kiensin and Engelhardt won their first match against Sergei Stukov and Merle Hudkins, 6-3-6-0. In the other semis pairing, Dela Cruz and Lopez also had a tough win over Jake Lee and Jodel Fernandez, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

The mixed doubles 4.0 title game was played late Sunday afternoon along with the three remaining singles championship matches.

In the women’s 4.0 singles finale, Engelhardt outlasted junior player Carol Lee in three sets. Engelhardt won the first set, 6-4, but failed to wrap up the game when Lee took the second set, 6-4. In the deciding third set, Engelhardt pulled off a 10-4 triumph.

Lee made it to the finals after winning via walkover against top seed Tammy Ackerman, who was injured. Engelhardt outclassed Emily Jones, 7-5, 6-2, and Aki Shintani, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the finals.

In the women’s 40-and-above singles finals, Lydia Tan walked away with the championship after winning the first set, 6-1, and Cleofe Santos decided not to continue the match due to an injury.

The men’s 40-and-above singles title match went the distance with Raj Rai edging Sam Lai, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.