Fiji tennis, World Series take spotlight

Several of the island’s topnotch athletes are currently doing the best they can in representing the CNMI.

Doing their part on the tennis courts are young guns Kanani Ashraf, Ji Hoon Heo, Tim Quan, and Mayuko Arriola, who have been competing the past week in Lautoka, Fiji in the 2004 ITF Pacific Oceania Junior Tennis Championships.

At 11 years of age, Ashraf is the youngest of the 48 players in the tourney. However, she made her presence felt by breezing in the first two days of the competition. She won her first four matches by convincing scores, earning a slot in the semifinals. Latest news indicated that Ashraf was battling for third place in the girl’s 14-and-under category.

For their part, Arriola and Quan bounced back after tough setbacks and both have shots at finishing seventh in their respective divisions after winning two of their five matches in the regular round. Arriola joins Ashraf in the girl’s 14-and-under while Quan saw action in the boy’s 18-and-under division.

Heo, on the other hand, made a solid debut and finished the regular round with a respectable 2-2 record.

Also seeing action on outside grounds are the CNMI Junior and Senior League All Stars. The Senior boys took the field in Bangor, Maine and bounced back from two earlier losses to beat Bangor Westside/East Little League All Stars and followed it up by defeating previously unbeaten Dade City Little League All Stars to finish with a 2-2 record.

Congratulations are in order for Jesse Borja, Shane Yamada, Jesus Iguel, Vince Sablan, Martin Pangelinan, Josh Arriola, Joe Salas, Thorn Sablan, Ryan Ada, Jonathan Salas, Kevin Babauta, Nicolas San Nicolas, Nunu Kapileo, Juan Tenorio, manager Sonny Flores, coaches Tony Celis and Ray Sablan of the Junior League.

Congratulations are also in order for Oliver Secharmidal, Antoine Allen, Tony Palacios, Franco Flores, Ben Taisakan, Tyrone Omar, Dan Concepcion, Jeff Saures, Zachary Concepcion, Derrick Babauta, Jesse Garcia, Thomas Guerrero, Many Ada, and Peter Tenorio, Manger Jess Wabol, of the Senior League.

On-island highlights include Visminda-Country House, RP Cabalen-Transamerica/EC COMM, and SIP-Verizon earning semifinal berths in the 2004 UFO-San Miguel Cup; Jollibee and Country House bagging semifinal tickets in the Inter Restaurant Basketball League—joining pennant champion Cappricciosa; and Josh Sablan and Dan Barcinas taking leadership roles in individual categories in the Saipan Rotary Summer Youth Basketball League. (with Brad Ruszala)