Tim Quan playing in Land Down Under

The CNMI’s very own Tim Quan is currently playing alongside the region’s promising netters in Australia, as part of the International Tennis Federation-Pacific Oceania 18 & Under touring team.

Also selected to the men’s team, which will play five events over two weeks in the Land Down Under, are Johnson Taliki of Solomon Islands, Willence Seymour of Nauru, Daneric Hazelman of Fiji, and Sione Mu’amoholeva of Tonga. Seeing action for the women’s team are Shantel Tavita of Samoa, Jackie Lahari of Papua New Guinea, and Tavu Fa of Fiji.

Last Dec. 31, Quan along with the seven other junior players from Pacific Oceania arrived in Melbourne and met up with ITF-Pacific Oceania official Dan O’Connell.

O’Connell didn’t waste time and yesterday immediately put the youth netters to the test and had them play in the Patsie Guthrie Cup. Next up for the Elite 8 is the Shepparton Ducts Tournament, which will run today until Jan. 6.

After a one-day rest, Quan and company will be back on the tennis courts, this time testing their serve and volley skills in the Margaret Court Cup Team Event on Jan 8.

Next in their calendar of activities will be the four-day Albury Tournament, which lasts from Jan 9-12. Inter-lapping with the Alburt Tournament is the Wadonga Tournament, which runs until Jan. 15.

The eight players then get the thrill of their lifetimes when they attend the 2005 Australian Open from Jan. 17 to 19. Quan and the rest of the ITF-Pacific Oceania 18 & Under touring team are scheduled to leave for Fiji on the evening of Jan. 19.

The ITF and the Oceania Tennis Federation are funding the two-week trip of the ITF-Pacific Oceania 18 & Under touring team in Australia.

Quan is the son of Sidney Tenorio and Priscila Tenorio and is the grandson of Joeten. The 17-year-old high school student from Hawaii Preparatory Academy first showed his skill and savvy on the tennis court in the North Pacific Qualifying Tennis Tournament held last July on Saipan, where he finished second to Guam’s Dean Dedicatoria in the boys’ 18-and-under division.

He again proved his mettle during the 2004 ITF Pacific Oceania Junior Tennis Championships and 2004 Air Pacific Oceania Closed Junior Tennis Championships, both held in Lautoka, Fiji, two months later in August.