Top seeds advance in J30 tourney

Top seeds in the boys and girls divisions of the International Tennis Federation J30 Junior World Ranking Tournament advanced to the quarterfinals after their rounds of matches yesterday and last Wednesday at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan tennis courts.

For the boys division yesterday, No. 1 Aidan Lam Meng Bart from the U.S. defeated South Korea’s Young Hoon Kim, 6-0, 7-6(5). The boys’ No. 2, Japan’s Eita Suzuki bested Hong Kong’s Yik Hin Brandon Wong, 6-2, 6-0.

In the girls division last Wednesday, No. 1 Peien Deng of China beat Japan’s Misaki Sekido, 6-1, 6-4. Then, No. 2 Leanne Abouhamad of Australia took down Japan’s Tohko Takino, 7-6, 6-2.

No. 3 Dain Lee, who lived on Saipan until she was 12, lost to Japan’s Aoi Yoshida, 3-6, 0-6. Lee bounced back yesterday though, as she fought her way through three tough sets against Great Britain’s Charlotte Perks, 5-3, 1-4, 10-5, in the girls singles consolation semifinals.

Lee will go up against South Korea’s Yura Kang in the girls consolation finals.

As for NMI netters, although some advanced to the next round after their games last Wednesday, some fell to tough opponents yesterday. However, NMI’s Henry Seungwoo Choi grabbed a win in the boys semifinals consolation match over teammate Matthew Hwang, 4-0, 4-0.

Choi will face off against South Korea’s Taekyeom Lee in the boys consolation finals.

The NMI’s June Yu was silenced by South Korea’s Jun Hyuck Lee, 0-6, 0-6; NMI’s Anne Lee faltered against Kang, 2-4, 0-4, in the girls consolation semis; and NMI’s Ryan Jeongwoo Choi lost to Taekyeom, 1-4, 1-4, in the boys consolation semis.

Also yesterday, boys/girls doubles matches went underway.

Deng teamed up with Japan’s Miku Kitaoka and shut down Takino and Yoshia, 6-2, 6-2.

Aidan paired up with his brother Andre and showed no mercy to South Korea’s Geon Hyeok Jeon and Hong Kong’s Wan Him Donovan Yim, 6-0, 6-1.

Suzuki and Mao Tazuru drove their way to a win against Jun Hyuck Lee and Jian Pyun, 6-0, 6-3.

Abouhamad was partnered with Japan’s Mutsumi Uemura and pulled off a win against Perks and Sekido, 6-0, 6-3.

Dain then bagged a win with partner Nonoka Shimizu, 6-4, 7-5.

South Korea’s Kyoungman Kim and Woo Yeon Na took down Australia’s Darren Yann Junn Lew and Junhyuk Seo, 6-4, 6-1; and Young Hoon Kim and Gyeom Do won over Daiya Hino and Yik Hin Brandon Wong, 6-1, 6-2.

In other singles matches yesterday, Seo bested Andre in three tough sets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; Tazuru locked in against Pyun, 6-1, 6-4; Wan Him Donovan Yim took down Jeon, 6-4, 6-3; and Kyoungman slipped past Shuya Machida, 6-1, 7-5.

Fifty-five junior netters from the NMI, Guam, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, U.S., Great Britain, and Chinese-Taipei are vying for ITF points in the tourney that ends on Sunday, June 2.

An ITF J30 event is a junior event with 30 world ranking points for the winner. Players will play singles and doubles. It is the entry level event for emerging tennis players who are trying to acquire world ranking points to be accepted on the professional tour or win a scholarship to a U.S. college.

The last time an ITF J30 event was held on Saipan was in 2019.