By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

AFTER three days of playing in the sweltering heat, winners in the 2007 Coconut Classic Tennis Championships were honored yesterday at the American Memorial Park Tennis courts.
The list of top winners included Ji Hoon Heo, Mayuko Arriola, Russell Buenaventura, Sonny Decena, Joe Motto, Jr., Nicholas Son, Benjie Decena, Jessica Soll, Colin Ramsey and Neghar Rastguiy.
Heo ruled the men’s Open singles, as he was undefeated in the round-robin event. Heo downed Nicholas Son last Sunday, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, and sealed the title with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Jeff Race yesterday. Race finished second with a 1-1 record, after prevailing over Son, 7-5, 4-6, 3-3 (retired).
Arriola grabbed the women’s Open singles beating Matty Buenaventura and Lila Mailman in the round-robin event.
In the boys’ 13-and-under singles, Joe Motto, Jr, whipped Thea Minor in the finals yesterday, 8-5.
Soll won the girls’ 13-and-under crown last Sunday after downing Melody Johnson in the finals.
Russell thwarted Benjie Decena in the boys’ 18-and-under singles, 7-5, 6-2, while Rastguiy prevailed over Gabrielle Race, 3-2 (retired), in the girls’ 9-and-under finals.
Colin Ramsey took the boys’ 9-and-under title after outclassing Dylan Ackerman, 6-4.
Sonny Decena claimed the men’s 40-and-over singles championship after tripping Steve Nutting, 6-3, 6-2, in the finals yesterday.
Sonny advanced to the finals after beating Gary Ramsey in the semis last Sunday, 8-6, while Nutting gained the second finals berth after slipping past Ganover Rettin, 8-4.
In the mixed-up doubles A, Benjie and Son thwarted the tandem of Gary Ramsey and Christian Miller in the finals, 6-1, 6-0.
The mixed-up doubles B title went to Soll and Colin, who defeated Johnson and Michael Grandinetti in the finals, 6-4, 6-2.
The top two winners in each division were rewarded with specially-designed coconuts, which were colored orange and had the name of the tournament printed on them.
The Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association organized the three-day tournament, which started last Saturday. Joe Motto, Sr. was the tournament director.