Junior netters secure playoffs spot; doubles teams advance to semis

Eleven junior netters secured a playoff spot in their singles division on the continuation of the 2024 Pacific Oceania Junior Championship over the weekend in Lautoka, Fiji, while NMI doubles teams advanced to the semis after their matches yesterday.

La Hunn Lam, Anne Lee, Hoo Wang, Ryan Choi, Ian Chae, June Yu, Nason Wessel, Siwoo Lee, Henry Choi, Irin Chung, and Hannah Chae are in the playoffs today of their respective age groups after they wrapped up pool play yesterday.

With Lam’s win over Solomon Islands’ John Taufunu, 6-0, 6-1, yesterday, he solidified an undefeated 4-for-4 run in the boys 16U singles.

In the girls 16U doubles matchups, Chung and Wang pulled through in three tough sets over Samoa’s Toaiva Loto and Dora Moors, 6-4, 3-6, 10-5, to make it to the semis.

Then, Anne paired up with Guam’s Faith Perera in the girls 14U doubles and won over Solomon Islands’ Jen Tahunipue and Tahiti’s Meheti Tohetiaatua, 6-1, 6-4.

In the boys 16U doubles match, the duo of Lam and Wessel put on a clinic against Deevansh Singh and Tyrone Speed, 6-3, 6-1.

Ian and Choi, in the boys 14U doubles, blasted through Solomon Islands’ Pio Ruhasia and Fiji’s Zaraan Singh, 6-4, 6-2; and Yu and Guam’s Junhuyk Seo made it past Tahitians Tham and Mataihau Sacault, 7-5, 6-4.

Last Saturday, Wang put up a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Latoya Fruen of Samoa. In 12’s team action, both Emma Lang and Stella Choi won their respective singles matches to defeat Papua New Guinea.

Then, Lee won 7-5, 6-0 against Jen Tahunipue from Solomon Islands; Wessel took on Fiji’s Aryan Lal and came out on top, 6-1, 6-1; and Siwoo Lee and Henry Choi kicked off the doubles competition by beating the Fijian duo of Rezwan Khan and Aryan Lal.

Last Friday, Lam eliminated No. 4 seed Ao Li of Fiji, 6-3, 6-1, and wrapped it up with a win over Toanui Lee Tham, 6-2, 6-1. Meanwhile, Wessel narrowly lost to Tahiti’s No. 1 seed Hiva Kelley 7-6, 6-4; Tham then bested NMI’s Henry Choi, 6-7, 7-5, 10-5.

In the boys 14, Ryan Choi extended his winning streak with a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of Fiji’s Zanaar Singh; Ian Chae fought hard but lost to Fiji’s Frank Sun, 1-6, 0-6. In the girls 14, Lee outlasted Samoa’s Maryallyson Vaai 2-6, 6-2, 10-6.

Then, in the girls 16, Chung beat Fiji’s Tekura Tamangaro 6-4, 6-3; Wang extended No. 4 seed Puline Hyun of Papua New Guinea to a tiebreaker in the first set but lost 6-7, 4-6; and Hannah Chae lost 0-6, 1-6, against Loto.

The Junior Championship features players from the NMI, American Samoa, Vanuatu, Guam, Samoa, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

The tourney runs until Friday, July 12.