Heo hopes to do better in next tourney

Ji Hoon Heo hopes to do better in his next International Tennis Federation-organized tournament as he resumes his bid to earn needed ITF points to barge into the world junior rankings.

Heo is currently in South Korea and has played in the 2008 Jeju International Junior Championships at the Yeonjeong Tennis Courts in Jeju City. He did not do well in the said tournament since he had little time to adjust to the below 15 degree weather at Korea’s southernmost island.

Heo left Saipan on April 3, barely four days after beating Peter Loyola in the finals to successfully defend his title in the 8th Annual Pacific Islands Club-Gatorade Tennis Tournament, and played the following day.

He took an Asiana Airlines direct flight to Korea and took a connecting flight to Jeju Island. Heo, who is traveling alone, stayed at a friend’s house while in Jeju City.

Heo suffered a 3-6, 3-6 loss to Gil Bo Bae, citing weather and the use of his new racquet as the reasons for his sub-par performance. “The weather is just horrible. I was really freezing, it’s just so different from Saipan.”

“It was extremely cold I could barely feel my racquet. I played a bit cramped up due to the weather.”

Heo, who is now in Seoul staying at his grandmother’s house, said there are players that are ranked in the top 200 in the ITF World Junior rankings. He will play in the qualifying round of the Lee Duk Hee Cup Korea International Junior Championships 2008 slated from April 13 to 14 at the Jangchoong Tennis Courts in Jangchoong, Seoul, Korea.

“I hope I get used to the weather for the [Lee Duk Hee tournament] since this tournament doesn’t have a pre-qualifying event,” said Heo, who added that though both tournaments are played in hard courts, the courts in Korea is a lot different from the courts on Saipan.

Heo said most of the players seeing action are Koreans but the two tournaments also attracted top junior netters from Russia, China, Taiwan, and Japan. “I don’t know any players at all but I made new friends.”

He added that he expects the Lee Duk Hee tournament to be tougher since there are players ranked in the Top 100 in the world junior rankings. “There is this player that is ranked 33rd [in the world] and he has played in some junior grand slams.”

Heo is expected back on Saipan on April 21.