EXPERIENCE OVER YOUTH IN QUALITY CUP DOUBLES

PRESS RELEASE – No. 1 Jorge Alcantara and Benson Au-Yeung’s combined tournament experience helped the tandem outplay their younger opponents, Camden Camacho and Edward Chung, in the Men’s 4.5 Doubles division of the Quality Cup tennis tournament.

Alcantara/Au-Yeung mixed well-placed drop shots and volley winners to defeat junior division standouts Camacho and Chung 6-1, 6-0 at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts.

“We didn’t try to hit harder or faster than our younger opponents – we went with playing smart, which comes from experience,” said Au-Yeung, who has been playing tennis for over 25 years. “We can’t underestimate the young players now – many are faster, stronger, and have good coaches. We’re lucky to have the edge in experience, and it also helps that we play mainly doubles when we’re out on the courts.”

In other Men’s 4.5 Doubles matches, Ricardo Estella and David Lai upset No. 3 Raymond Miranda and Masakazu Takahashi 6-7, 6-1, 10-8. No. 2 Khay Sung and Derek Okuhama advanced with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Vicente Ascensio and Roland Reyes. No. 4 Jeff Bristol and Eun Sung Jang defeated junior standouts Anthony John and Tom Park 6-3, 6-2.

Kaia Malakooti leaps for a smash in front of doubles partner Ashley Nadler in a Women’s 3.0 Doubles division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament against Krystiana Martinez and Althea Tapales at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts. Malakooti/Nadler defeated Martinez/Tapales 6-3, 3-6, 10-8. (courtesy photo)

In other matches at the Hilton, Dennis M and Carlos Suing rallied to an emotional 3-6, 6-4, 10-5 win over No. 2 Camacho/Chung in the Men’s 4.0 Doubles division.

In the Men’s 2.0 Doubles division, Josh Tan and Kevin Zhu upset No. 1 Carl Leon Guerrero and Darren Talai 3-6, 6-4, 10-7.

In the Women’s 4.0 Doubles division, Arn Diaz and Diane Lee defeated Migu Goodman and Yuka Iwata 6-2, 6-3 to gain a one-match advantage in the division’s round-robin format.

In the Women’s 3.0 Doubles division, Margaret Leon Guerrero and Melody Pugh upset No. 2 Mimi Gaffney and Kelly Worrell 6-1, 6-2. Ashley Nadler and Kaia Malakooti went the distance with Krystiana Martinez and Althea Tapales 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 and will next play No. 1 Lory Tydingco and Mae Hsieh.

In the Women’s 2.0 Doubles division, Janay Masga and Andrea Delin upset No. 4 Stephanie Ayers and Trish Bigler 6-3, 3-6, 10-3.

In Family Open Mixed Doubles matches, father-daughter duo Torgun and Victoria Smith rallied to a 10-8 win over another father-daughter tandem in Jeff and Alyssa Bristol. Brother and sister Sidney and Chloe Gadsden upset No. 1 Wendell and Jocelyn Roden 10-2. Father-daughter team Landon and Camdyn Nadler advanced with a 10-6 win over David Lai and Annie Wu.

In Family Mixed Doubles Challenger matches, David and Teresa John defeated Eddy and Angelyn Sy 10-2. Dan and Ashley Roland defeated Francisco and Celine San Nicolas 10-1. No. 2 Ray and Alyssa Merletti defeated Carl and Millie Leon Guerrero 10-8.

In matches continued from the tournament’s first weekend, Anthony John defeated Victor Tuncap 10-5 in the U18 Boys Singles division. In the U16 Boys Singles division, No. 1 Joshua Cepeda blanked Josh Tan 10-0 and later defeated Shane Schnabel 10-3. Brian Tuncap, Jr. defeated Chung 10-4.

In the U16 Girls Singles division, No. 1 Camdyn Nadler defeated Kanasta Abrams 10-0.

In the Men’s 45+ Singles division, No. 1 Jeff Bristol claimed the championship crown with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 2 Jose Gallego. Bristol also won his Men’s 55+ Singles semifinal against Estella 2-6, 6-1, 10-8.

Other scores from matches at other venues and late matches were not immediately available.

Quality Cup tennis action continues Sunday at Hilton, Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort tennis courts and the Rick Ninete Tennis Center in Hagåtña. Draw sheets and schedules can be downloaded from www.tennisacademyguam.com

Kelly Worrell reaches high to send in a serve as doubles partner Mimi Gaffney stays in position for a return shot in a Women’s 3.0 Doubles division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament against Margaret Leon Guerrero and Melody Pugh at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts.. Leon Guerrero/Pugh defeated Gaffney/Worrell 6-1, 6-2. (courtesy photo)