Upsets mark fourth day of competition

The CNMI’s top two junior players fell to their less-heralded teammates yesterday in the North Pacific Qualifying Tennis Tournament at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Top-ranked Jung Mun Chung was ambushed by Tim Quan, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, in the semis of the boys 18-and-under division.

It was an ignominious end to the tournament for Chung as the 17-year-old South Pacific Games veteran dominated play in Pool A with a 5-0 record only to run out of gas against a taller and better conditioned Quan.

Quan drew Chung in the crossover semis after finishing second in Pool B. The 15-year-old high school student fell to Guam’s Dean Dedicatoria, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, Wednesday but bounced back with a lung-busting, come-from-behind triumph over Chung.

The win gave Quan a berth in the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships this August in Fiji. Joining Quan in the trip is Dedicatoria, who after topping Pool B hacked out a similar 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 conquest of compatriot and defending champion Adam Rudolph in the semis.

Other age group results saw Nicolas Son of the CNMI beat up on Nikhil Singh of Guam, 6-2, 6-1; Ralph Buenaventura humble Johnny Johnson in the battle of Northern Mariana islanders, 6-0, 6-1; and FSM’s Ryan Yamada outlast teammate Midion Neth, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4).

Also earning roundtrip tickets to Fiji are the CNMI’s Kanani Ashraf and Mayuko Arriola.

The two finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the girls 14-and-under division. But Ashraf is going to Fiji as the top seed from the North Pacific after the 10-year-old shocked Arriola in straight sets in the finals, 6-1, 6-3. It marked the first time in her career that Ashraf defeated the 14-year-old in a tournament.

Other results in the girls 14s had Arriola topping Terea Tapu of Guam, 6-0, 6-0; Ashraf beating stable mate Lila Mailman, 6-2, 6-0; Mailman turning back Tapu, 6-2, 6-0, Ayuri Sugahara of Guam defeating Vivian Lee of the CNMI, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Audrey Motto of the CNMI stopping Lolyn Neth of FSM, 6-1, 6-2; and Megan Helgenberger of FSM winning, 6-1, 5-7, 6-1, against countrywoman Alona Jackson.

On Wednesday, Ashraf was a 6-4, 7-5 victor over Motto; Mailman thumped Neth, 6-1, 6-2, and Lee took the starch out of Helgenberger, 6-1, 6-2.

Only the results of two matches were available in the girls 18-and-under as of press time. And like the previous three days, it had Michelle Pang’s dominance written all over it. The 16-year-old from Guam continued her streak of not dropping a set by victimizing Kelsey Isechal of Palau, 6-1, 6-2. Compatriot Yumika Sugahara also was successful against the CNMI’s Na-Sil Heo, 6-0, 6-0.

Meanwhile, a star in the boys 14-and-under ranks is slowly emerging after the CNMI’s Ji Hoon Heo successfully defended his title in the age group.

The Fiji-bound Heo put the final touches on his dominating performance in the division after he demolished Justin Dugan of Guam in the finals.

Heo finished Pool A on top with a 3-0 record and then turned back Pool B No. 2 Lloyd Yamada of FSM in the semis, 6-1, 6-1. Dugan, for his part, was equally impressive and ran away with four straight victories with no loss in winning Pool B. He beat Odanges Dengokl of Palau, 6-1, 6-1, in the semis.

Other boys 14-and-under results yesterday saw Heo beat Dengokl, 6-1, 6-4; Dayn Iehsi of FSM triumph against Dillon Thorpe of the CNMI, 6-3, 6-0; and Russell Buenaventura outplay Tinian’s Benjie Decena, 6-4, 6-1.