Several members of the San Diego Tennis Federation, San Diego’s gay and lesbian tennis club, journeyed to Honolulu, Hawaii to compete in the eighth annual Aloha Tennis Open tournament Feb. 20-23. It was the most recent – and most tropical – tournament in the annual circuit of Gay & Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA) competitions held in cities around the country and overseas. The Aloha Tennis Open attracted 127 players from throughout the United States and from as far away as Japan, competing in Open, A, B and C divisions.

San Diego swept the C division, with Junior Buendia taking first place in singles, defeating Marc Walter of La Jolla 6-3, 6-2 in an exciting, hard-hitting, all-San Diego final. The two players hit with such force that several spectators wondered if they were watching the B or even A division finals.

Less than half an hour before his singles final got underway, Buendia and his doubles partner, Kent Taylor, also of San Diego, defeated the tough Japanese team of Sean Miyagawa and Makoto Sakurai 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 in the C division doubles final.

Buendia has been playing tennis competitively for just over a year. His dual C division victories in Hawaii recalled his performance at the Miami Art Deco Open in January 2003, when he won both singles and doubles in the D division in his GLTA debut.

The fourth trophy for San Diego went to Steve Shultz, who exited the main draw of the B division in a first-round loss but went on to win first place in the B division consolation round, with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Jared Strawderman of San Francisco. It was Shultz’s first time playing at the B level in a GLTA tournament.

The players had to contend with high humidity, bright sun and temperatures that reached into the 80s, which – combined with the unmatched ‘aloha’ spirit of the Hawaiian hosts – made it a tournament to remember. For more information on the San Diego Tennis Federation, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com and click on this story for a link to their web site.