MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, Japan - Players showed their passion, talent and athleticism during an island-wide tennis tournament hosted by the Marine Corps Community Services at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Feb. 25.
The tournament showcased intermediate and advanced matches, which followed the rules and guidelines of the United States Tennis Association, said Yohandro Espinosa, a sports coordinator for MCCS.
“Advanced matches are for seasoned players, while intermediate matches are for the beginning or casual players,” said Espinosa. “The skill classes are determined by the players.”
The contestants competed for first and second place trophies. All of the matches were either men’s or women’s singles with no age limit, said Espinosa.
Ten players competed in the single-elimination tournaments organized by skill level and gender.
Daryl Perales claimed first place for the men’s intermediate bracket, and William Barker was the runner-up. Sandra Perales took first place for the women’s intermediate bracket, and Yoshiko Youngdano was the runner-up. The winner of the men’s advanced bracket was Jose Ramos with Tamario Mullins as the runner-up. No women participated in the advanced bracket.
Unlike most of the other advanced players in the tournament, Ramos did not begin playing until after high school. It was then that he found his passion for tennis.
“Tennis is one of my favorite sports now,” said Ramos. “During the weekends I like to spend a lot of time practicing on my skills or playing in tennis tournaments. I’m grateful that MCCS sponsored this tournament.”
MCCS plans to sponsor more tennis tournaments throughout the year. For more information, visit www.mccsokinawa.com.