Korea’s Cho advances to Challenge singles finals

Min Hyeok Cho’s advanced to the finals of the 5th Annual Guam International Tennis Open’s 16-player Male Singles Challenge Invitational and Eight-Team Men’s Doubles Draw after winning his semifinal game against Hawaii’s Ikaika Jobe last Saturday.

Cho, who hails from Korea and is ranked 792 in the world, rallied after a first set loss to beat Jobe at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts.

The 25-year-old Jobe, who is No. 992 in the ATP rankings, got the better of Cho in the opening set, 6-4.

With elimination starring him in the face, Cho overcame Jobe in tightly fought second, 7-5, to force a third and deciding set.

In the rubber race-to-six, Cho kept the pressure on Jobe and went on to score a relatively easy 6-3 win to advance to the championship round of the tournament.

The 21-year-old will await the result of the other semifinal contest pitting countryman Dylan Seong Kwan Kim and Japan’s Tetsuya Chaen.

The 23-year-old Kim is ranked 965 in singles and 1,406 in doubles, while Chaen is the highest seed among the Final Four at No. 527 in the ATP rankings. He, however, is also the oldest at 35 years old.

In semifinal results earlier Saturday, Jobe defeated Joo Seung Park of Korea, 6-2, 6-3; and

Mat Klein of Australia beat Satoshi Iwabuchi of Japan after the latter withdrew from the competition.

In Pool B, Japan’s Takahito Terachi got the better of Australia’s Marvin Barker, 6-3, 7-5; and Kim won over Filipino Davis Cup player Johnny Arcilla, 4-0 (retired).

Action in Pool C saw Andrew Gregory of Australia beat Chaen, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, and Dong-Whee Choi of Korea oust former Pacific Oceania Davis Cup player Lency Tenai, 6-2, 6-2

Pool D had Cho oust Patrick John Tierro of the Philippines, 6-1, 6-2, and Hiroyasu Sato of Japan win against Brad Lum-Tucker of Hawaii, 6-3, 6-4.

Friday’s competition had Klein beat Park, 6-2, 6-2, and Jobe win via walkover against Iwabuchi in Pool A.

In Pool B, Kim was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Terachi, while Arcilla scored a 6-0, 7-6 (0) victory over Barker.

Gregory, meanwhile, registered a 6-4, 6-2 win over Tenai and Chaen was a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 winner over Choi in Pool C.

Pool D saw Tierro record wins over Sato (6-2, 6-4) and Lum-Tucker (6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2), while Cho scored a 6-2, 6-3 win over Sato.

In the doubles semifinals last Friday, Iwabuchi and Sato teamed up to beat Cho and Kim, 6-4, 6-4, while Jobe and Lum-Tucker posted a 6-4, 5-7 (10-6) victory over Choi and Park.