NPJC underway, NMI netters notch wins

The renamed North Pacific Junior Championships got underway yesterday at the American Memorial Park and Pacific Islands Club Saipan tennis courts, with NMI netters notching wins in various divisions.

At press time, NMI won six matches in the boys 16, three in the girls 16, three in the girls 14, and two in the boys 14 divisions.

To get things going, NMI’s Henry Choi faced off against teammate Kiwon Lee in the boys 16 division. In a dominating performance by Choi, he silenced Lee and won, 6-0, 6-0. At the same time, NMI’s Si Woo Lee took on Guam’s Oliver Schaumann and took the W, 6-1, 6-0.

NMI’s June Yu then challenged Federated States of Micronesia’s Dontrick Daniel and beat him, 6-3, 6-2. NMI’s Nason Wessel then had a great showing against Guam’s John Hoh as he blanked him, 6-0, 6-0.

Si Woo Lee then bounced back and won against Guam’s Leonardo Tamandong, 6-1, 6-1.

In the girls 16 division, NMI’s Hoo Wang made light work of FSM’s Louisa Williams, 6-4, 6-0. NMI’s Anna Kwon went on to down Guam’s Yuji Kim, 6-3, 6-0, and Hannah Chae pulverized Palau’s Sorai Nakamura, 6-1, 6-0.

The NMI’s younger girls in the girls 14 division won four matches, with Vivian Chung notching a win against FSM’s Maya Neth, 6-0, 6-0. Lina Tsukagoshi then followed up with a win over Palau’s Apigail Nakamura, 6-0, 6-1, and NMI’s Anne Lee shut down Guam’s Emely Rosario, 6-0, 6-0. Jenna Pascual gave the NMI their fourth win after she won a tough matchup against Palau’s Jhohanna Malsol, 7-5, 6-4.

In the last division, the boys 14, NMI’s Ryan Choi blanked Palau’s Prinze Skilling, 6-0, 6-0, and Ian Chae did the same with his opponent, Guam’s Malachi O’Brien.

A total of 25 of the islands’ top 16-and-under tennis players are challenging the best from Guam, Palau, Nauru, and FSM during the six-day tourney organized by the Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association and funded by the Oceania Tennis Federation and International Tennis Federation.

Matches will be played until Saturday, April 13.