Heo to join Junior ITF events in RP

CNMI junior netter Ji Hoon Heo left for the Philippines yesterday to compete in two ITF tournaments.

Heo in an interview with the Saipan Tribune Friday night said he will be participating in the 2008 PHINMA-ITF International Junior Tournament 1 and 2 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex tennis courts in Malate, Manila.

The first tournament will run from Nov. 25 to Nov. 30, while the second one will be held from Dec. 2 to 6. Both events are Grade 4 tournaments. This type of event offers the least ranking points and is used as an introduction to the ITF Junior Circuit. Grade A (including four Grand Slam events) tournaments has the most points. Grades B and C are for regional championships and international competitions, respectively.

Heo said the tournaments in the Philippines will feature ranking players in the ITF Junior Circuit. He added he will be competing against players from Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The draw in the boys’ single has yet to be released, but NMI coach Jeff Race, who played several pickup games against Heo to prepare the Commonwealth’s netter for the tournaments in the Philippines, said that among the participants in the ITF event is ranked in the Top 40.

Before Heo makes it to the main draw, he has to win two or three games in the qualifier.

The RP tournaments will be Heo’s first since competing in Japan in September. He did not play in the 2008 NMITA Fall Classic Championships and had to have scrimmages with Nicolas Son, Race, and a former U.S. collegiate player now residing on Saipan to be in shape.

Heo admitted he is not 100-percent fit for the tournament, but he has been recovering well since sustaining an ankle injury on his left foot in a tournament in New Caledonia in summer.

The injury was aggravated in August when Heo played in the 2008 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji and lost to Lorenzo Pineda of Vanuatu in the finals of the boys’ 18-and-under division.

After the Fiji trip, he went to Japan and the injury affected his campaign in the Land of the Rising Sun. He lost both opening games in two tournaments in Japan.

Heo took several weeks of rest when he returned to Saipan mid-September before resuming training in preparation for the ITF events in the Philippines.

“I hope the two tournaments in the Philippines will help me return to tough form and get ranking points once I make it to the main draw,” said Heo, who has been wearing braces on both ankles since returning from his Fiji trip.

Race said the injury has slowed down Heo’s game a bit so he has to focus more on his service game to make up for that disadvantage.

“One of Ji Hoon’s potent weapon is his speed. He really moves fast, but since he got injured, he slowed down a bit. In the past two months, we’ve been working on his serves as in this kind of tournament (ITF event) and with a limited footwork, you have to come out with big serves,” Race said.

“I wish he performs well in the tournaments in the Philippines and gets his confidence back,” Race added.