North Pacific qualifier winds down

The final standings of the North Pacific Qualifying Tennis Tournament were determined when the four-nation, five-day event wrapped up yesterday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Taking the championship in the boys 18-and-under was Guam’s Dean Dedicatoria, who reaffirmed his mastery over Tim Quan of the CNMI, 7-5, 6-3.

Defending champion Adam Rudolph of Guam, meanwhile, salvaged third place after he turned the tables on Pool A conqueror Jung Mun Chung, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.

Other boys 18s that were played last Thursday saw the CNMI’s Ralph Buenaventura unseat stable mate Nicolas Son for fifth place, 6-2, 6-1; and Johnny Johnson, also of the CNMI, take seventh with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Nikhil Singh of Guam.

Singh got eighth place, while Ryan Yamada, Midion Neth, and Tyrone Welley, all of FSM, finished in the ninth and 11th spots.

Michelle Pang, meanwhile, successfully defended her title in the girls 18-and-under. The 16-year-old from Guam beat Uriik Luii of Palau, 6-0, 6-0, Thursday to raise her record to a perfect 7-0 record in the age group.

Countrywoman Yumika Sugahara finished second in the division with a 6-1 mark. She capped her campaign with a 6-1, 6-0 thumping of the CNMI’s Na-Sil Heo Thursday. Heo finished fourth.

Palau’s Kelsey Isechal ranked third with a 5-2 record. She clinched the spot after beating eventual sixth placer Na-Hee Heo of the CNMI, 6-3, 6-0, also Thursday. The third Heo sister in the age group, seventh place Na-Lim, was able to end her stint on a high note the same day after she ambushed fifth place Kim Yamaguchi of Palau, 6-3, 6-2. Luii wound up in eighth place.

After defending champion Ji Hoon Heo ran away with the title in the boys 14-and-under, the only business undecided was seventh and eighth place in the division. That was resolved Thursday when promising Benjie Decena of the CNMI topped compatriot Dillon Thorpe, 6-1, 6-2.

It was the only win of the tournament for the Tinian resident but because of his superior quotient, he wound up in seventh ahead of Thorpe and Mark Alex of Palau.

Heo and Justin Dugan of Guam cornered the first two spots, while Odanges Dengokl of Palau, Lloyd Yamada of FSM, Dayn Iehsi of FSM and Russell Buenaventura of the CNMI took the third to sixth spots.

Like the boys age group, the girls 14s also had the seventh and eighth spots left unsettled when Lolyn Neth of FSM and Vivian Lee of the CNMI squared off Thursday. Neth would win that battle, 6-3, 6-2. Lee settled for the eighth spot ahead of FSM’s Megan Helgenberg and Alona Jackson.

The CNMI’s Kanani Ashraf, Mayuko Arriola, and Lila Mailman finished first, second, and third, followed by Tera Tapu of Guam, Audrey Motto of the CNMI, and Ayuri Sugahara of Guam.

Serving as coaches for the participating teams were Jeff Race (CNMI), Charles Oliver (Guam), Ernestine Rengiil (Palau), and Louisa Aliven (FSM). Acting as tournament referee was Dan O’Connell.

The top two players in each of the divisions will go to Lautoka, Fiji, in August to compete in the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships.