NPQ tennis tourney starts today

No less than Gov. Juan N. Babauta will grace the opening of the North Pacific Qualifying Tennis Tournament this morning at the American Memorial Park.

The four-nation event will kick off at 8am today at the AMP tennis courts and will conclude on Friday, June 18. The top junior players from Guam, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and host CNMI will compete in the tournament.

The CNMI’s hopes are pinned on boys 18-and-under No. 1 Jung Mun Chung, boys 14-and-defending champion Ji Hoon Heo, and 2002 NMASA Student Athlete of the Year Mayuko Arriola in the girls 14-and-under.

Other local players entered in the junior tennis event are the following: Ralph Buenaventura, Nicolas Son, Tim Quan, and John Johnson in the boys 18-and-under; Russell Buenaventura, Dillon Thorpe, and Benjie Decena in the boys 14-and-under; sisters Na-Lim, Na-Sil, and Na-Hee Heo in the girls 18-and-under; and Vivian Lee, Lila Mailman, Audrey Motto, and Kanani Ashraf in the girls 14-and-under.

The CNMI team is being coached by Pacific Oceania Davis Cup captain Jeff Race.

Aside from Ji Hoon Heo, two other champions of last year’s NPQ will be suiting up in the tournament.

Adam Rudolph and Michelle Pang lead a crack junior tennis team from Guam and are a year removed from their triumphs in the boys and girls 18-and-under division, respectively.

Also competing for Guam in the NPQ are Dean Dedicatoria and Nikhil Singh (Boys 18-and-under), Justin Dugan (Boys 14-and-under), Ayuri Sugahara, Terea Tapu (Girls 14-and-under), and Yumika Sugahara (Girls 14-and-under). Charles Oliver is the coach of Guam.

FSM has the second largest contingent in this year’s NPQ. Midion Neth, Ryan Yamada, and Tyrone Welley spearhead the team’s campaign in the boys 18-and-under, while Lloyd Yamada, Marlon Troy Yamaguchi, and Dayn Iehsi will see action in the boys 14-and-under.

Playing in the girls 18-and-under age group are Kim Yamaguchi and Lube Reimers. Lolyn Neth, Megan Helgen-berger, and Jackson Alona will then suit up in the girls 14-and-under. FSM is mentored by Louisa Aliven.

Palau has sent a lean but mean team in the NPQ. They are led by Mark Alex and Odanges Dengoki in the boys 14-and-under, and Kelsey Isechal and Uriik Luii in the girls 18-and-under. Serving as coach of Palau is Erenstine Rengiil.

Referee Dan O’Connell said pool play would be held in the first two days of the NPQ with the semifinals and finals to be scheduled on Thursday and Friday, with the latter reserved for rained-out matches.