By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

JESSICA Soll became the first champion in the 2007 Coconut Classic Tennis Championships after ruling the girls’ 13-and-under singles division.
Soll downed Melody Johnson in the finals, 8-3, yesterday at the American Memorial Park tennis court to take the top honor in her class.
The Whispering Palms student moved into the finals after beating Theecel Minor in the semifinals, 8-1.
Johnson nailed the second finals birth after a walkover victory over Ilia Corella, who lost to Minor in the battle for third place.
The championship games of the other events will be played today with the organizing Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association recognizing the winners in a brief award ceremony in the afternoon.
The girls’ 9-and-under singles finals will feature Gabrielle Race facing Neghar Rastguiy.
With a no-show from Johnny Johnson, Benjie Decena and Russell Buenventura will battle for the boys’ 18-and-under crown today at 1 p.m.
Dylan Ackerman and Colim Ramsey square off for the boys’ 9-and-under title at 11 a.m.
Ackerman downed Colin’s brother, Quintin, in the semis, 6-1, while Colin nipped Mike Grandinetti, 6-1, in the other semis match.
Grandinetti settled for third after Quintin retired with the former leading 4-3.
In the boys’ 13-and-under, female player Thea Minor challenges Joe Motto, Jr. in the finals set for 10 a.m.
Motto moved into the championship match after topping Clay McCollough-Stearns, 8-2, while Thea whipped Ryan Baron in the other semis game, 8-2.
McCollough-Stearns then beat Baron yesterday in the battle for third, 8-4.
In the women’s Open singles, which has a round robin format with only three entries, Mayuko Arriola fights Lila Mailman at 2 p.m.
A win against Mailman will give Arriola the women’s Open crown. Arriola won over Matty Buenaventura in her first match, 6-4, 6-4, while Buenaventura downed Mailman, 6-3, 6-4.
The men’s Open singles also has three participants in Jeff Race, Nicholas Son and Ji Hoon Heo. Heo beat Son, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Race was playing Son yesterday, but the results were unavailable at press time.
Tonight, Heo takes on Race at 1 p.m.
In the men’s over-40 division, Sonny Decena and Gary Ramsey were playing in the semifinals. The other semis pair featured Steve Nutting and Ganover Rettin. Results of neither matches were unavailable at press time.
The stage is set for the championship showdowns in the unique mixed-up doubles competition, in which a junior player can choose a partner from the upper age groups or from the men’s and women’s singles divisions.
In mixed-up doubles A, Ramsey and Christian Miller meet the tandem of Son and Benjie Decena in the finals. Ramsey and Miller prevailed over Bert Ventura and Bradley Brostrom in the semis, 6-1, 6-1, while Son and Benjie won over Russell and Lucas Nutting, 6-1, 6-1.
In the mixed up doubles B, Soll and Colin won in the semis via a walkover against Quintin and Thea. Soll and Colin will face either the pair of Ackerman/Neghar or Melody/Mike Grandinetti.